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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646577">Brought Together By The Host</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordLenexa/pseuds/LordLenexa'>LordLenexa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Brought Together by the Host [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, High School, Love, Manga &amp; Anime, References to Ouran High School Host Club</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:16:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>349,489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordLenexa/pseuds/LordLenexa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A new student, Reina Thompson, enters class 2-A with the help of a host family program, and meets another kind of host, Tamaki Suoh. The two's attraction is instantaneous, but miscommunications, drama, and family issues quickly put the test to their relationship. *Crossposted*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fujioka Haruhi/Hitachiin Hikaru, Suoh Tamaki/Original Female Character(s), original - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Brought Together by the Host [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099343</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. New Beginnings (1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A/N: Thanks so much for picking this story to read! I haven't written fanfiction in almost ten years, but it's good to be back ;) I'm trying hard to not only write well, but also make things as accurate as I can. OHSHC has some interesting characters, dialogue, and subplots, so I'm trying to find a nice balance between realistic and the wacky way OHSHC is originally written. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Leave me reviews, I'd love to hear what you think. :) </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Chapter One</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        Reina had been up for a while, just waiting around until she felt it was a normal time to leave her room. Between the jetlag she had gotten so used to, added to the new environment and people, it just felt a little bit hard to take those first few steps. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        Her new host family had equipped her with all the essential items any teenage girl might ever need. On her first night, she was given a mini tour of the house she would spend the next year in. She was approved in every part of the home, barring her host parent’s master bedroom and a small study mirroring the master bedroom. The home offered many beneficial things; an extensive library, one that her new host mother, Sora, highly recommended for her studies, an amazing backyard that someone could spend hours in, an informal game room that Sora had said their teenagers had spent hours in, a grand hall where servants would await Reina and the family, among many other rooms that Reina had yet to see. Due to the long hours she had spent flying and wandering through airports, she was about ready to collapse in the middle of the hall, so she had asked to postpone seeing the rest of the rooms until another time. The house seemed to be expertly designed, every square inch had been decorated in such an elegant way, but as Reina realized, her room seemed a bit lackluster. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        Inside the room laid a bed, with ever flowing white sheets and an insanely soft comforter, a nightstand on both sides in a deep brown wood. In front of the bed sat an intricate vanity, where a few of Reina’s beauty products already were from the morning of preparing. Another mirror was leaned up against the wall near her closet, made of the same expensive lumber that her nightstands were created from, and she stood from the bed to go stand in front of. The only thing inside of her closet so far was a fair amount of school uniforms, graciously provided by her host family. She hadn’t yet been given the full opportunity to unpack, only having been in the house for less than a day. She glanced around the room once more, taking note of just how bare it really was. It made sense; the longer she lived in this room, the more she would undoubtedly add her own flair to it and create it her own, just as she had done in every other host home she had been in. However, it just held a gentle reminder of the restart she was once again taking on. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        Reina’s attention turned away from the nude room and was brought to her figure standing in the mirror. Brushing away the nonexistent wrinkles in her yellow dress, she took note of the interesting attire. Each academy she had been to in the past always had different uniforms, it was customary for them to want to stand out and show off their school colors, but it was always interesting to see what different styles she would have to take on. For instance, her short stay in Italy was accompanied by short skirts, a dress shirt and a optional, simple cardigan to help their students combat the heat. She had yet to deal with such a long dress, much less the practical demand to always wear the long sleeves attached to the dress. She made note that Japan must be more on the modest side, and she should make sure her language and actions reflect that if she plans to do well here. <em>Though, </em>she thought,<em> I can make that decision later, I suppose.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>        Once guaranteeing that she was leaving her room at an acceptable time, she picked up her school bag and headed out the bedroom door. Walking along the maze hallway wasn’t too hard, considering her room was placed fairly close to the stairwell. Once making her way down the stairs, she was greeted in the dining hall by Sora and a man she could only assume to be her host father. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Ah, welcome child,” the man said softly, giving her a soft bow, which Reina gracefully returned. “I have to apologize for not being here for your arrival, I had business that ran late. I am Saito. If you need anything, anything at all, during your stay, I will see to it.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Yes, thank you, Saito,” Reina said, giving him a soft smile. <em>I got the Japanese lessons, but speaking and hearing only Japanese is going to be such an adjustment,</em> she thought, but took the challenge with stride. Sora motioned Reina to sit at the table as servants brought out three plates and a pitcher of juice. Reina had already given Sora her preferred meal choices for breakfast and lunch, and was pleased to see a plate with a slice of toast and fruit being placed in front of her. The three spoke slightly about Reina’s first day at school, and they informed her that a car would be ready for her anytime she needed to use it. She placed the number for the driver inside her cellphone, then stood and once again bowed. It was one of those things that nobody taught her to do, but after only a few minutes inside the Japanese airport, realized it was customary and picked up on fairly quickly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Thank you both, but I should be leaving now. I’d like to be a little early so that I’m assured to make it to my correct class on time,” Reina said, and the two elders bowed their heads in understanding. She reached down for her bag that she had left at her foot, flashed them a quick smile before swinging it over her shoulder and heading out the front door. The black car awaited her in the middle of the circle driveway, and she hopped into the back as she was used to. The driver gave her a quick greeting before heading towards the established Ouran Academy. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        After a quick thank you and yet another awkward, seated bow, Reina climbed out of the car and gazed up at the school that she was set to spend at least a year at. Students crowded the front of the school, all of them grouped up and reuniting with their friends and classmates after the summer break. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>        No matter how grand my previous school was, the elegance and architecture of these academies never seem to fail me,</em> Reina thought with a sad smile, reminiscing on her former adventures. She began her walk up to the large front doors, and noticed pairs of eyes watching her. She heard the soft mumblings of the students she passed. Two words she was able to pick out from the crowd was “new” and “pretty”, which added an extra little pep in her step. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        It wasn’t until she got to the doors that she noticed a boy standing there, watching her, and seemingly had been for her entire walk up. Reina shot him a soft smile, but still didn’t break his gaze. He mirrored her smile, then bowed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Are you the new student, Reina Thompson? You’re in my class, 2-A, I’ve been assigned to escort you there,” the boy said, now standing from his bowing position. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Oh!” Reina exclaimed, eyes widening slightly. She felt stupid, not expecting him to be there to help her, and she immediately dropped into a bow, not wanting to offend him. “That’s me, yes,” she mumbled, then stood straight, “You don’t have to escort me, I could have found it on my own.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Nonsense! It’s my class too, I’m headed there anyway,” the boy smiled, “Besides, this school is a little hard to get through, even for someone who has been here a while. Nobody wants to be late on their first day. I’m Tenpi Yamamoto, by the way.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Well, nice to meet you then, Tenpi.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        They walked mostly in silence, not that Reina could really partake in much conversation anyway. She was taking in all the scenery that the school had to offer. It wasn’t long before they arrived at their classroom. Tenpi graciously opened the door for Reina, which she gave a small thanks for before entering. It was still about ten minutes before class was set to start, so to Reina’s surprise, most of the class seemed to already be inside conversing with one other. Tenpi seemed to notice her confusion, so he jumped in, as if reading her mind. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Most of the students you saw out front were first year students. They have a different protocol than the rest of us do. See, most second and third years, aside from cases like yours, already know their way around the school. So we’re all expected to just head to our destination once we arrive,” he began to explain, “The first years are all awaiting their tours, and their tour guides are some of the upperclassmen who sign up for it. Of course, there will be some strayaways down there, students who have friends just joining as first years who will stay with them until they must come to class.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “I see,” Reina nodded, glancing around at the new faces who all seemed to just start to notice her. It was an occurrence she was used to every year, but the reactions always seemed to differ. The last class she joined, in fact, seemed fairly apprehensive of her arrival. It was a breath of fresh air as she looked around and saw nothing but curiosity and excitement for a new classmate. </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>        It looked as though a group of girls was about to make their way over to Reina and her escort, but they were briefly cut off by the teacher of the class standing and giving a big, warm smile. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Welcome, Miss Thompson! If you don’t mind, I need to run something by you quickly before class can start,” the man exclaimed. If everyone hadn’t been watching before, they sure were now. “Nothing bad,” he assured quickly, able to read the expression on his new student’s face, “You just haven’t selected your electives for the semester, and I want to ensure you’ll get something that you would like.” The follow-up seemed to settle any rising nerves Reina had coming upon her, and she gave a soft smile and a nod before heading to his desk to go through her options. <em>So Eric didn’t pick them for me, interesting,</em> Reina noted as she began to read through the list and make small talk with her new teacher, Mr. Goto. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Thompson? I knew she didn’t look full Japanese!” one girl whispered to another, her eyes gleaming with an ‘I knew it’ expression, though nobody doubted her claim in the first place. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “She’s so pretty, I love red hair, but it looks especially good on her,” the other seemed to mourn, “I could never pull it off.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “You definitely could! The new girl looks so pretty with it, and for all we know, it might not even be natural. You should ask her,” the first girl reassured, which made the second girl gleam just as bright as her friend just had. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        On the other side of the classroom, Tamaki Suoh sat, watching the encounter between the alleged Miss Thompson and their teacher. He watched as she read her elective options, and how she would gracefully laugh at the things their teacher was saying to her. It seemed natural to her, almost. Being placed in a new setting with a crowd of new people and taking it with confidence. He sat back in his chair and turned his head over to his best friend, Kyoya Ootori, who seemed less than interested in the whole ordeal. After the initial entrance, he seemed to lose his curiosity - at least, that’s how it seemed to appear. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Kyoya,” Tamaki started, in order to get his attention, however they both knew that Kyoya was already listening and expecting Tamaki to start talking, “why do you think my father didn’t tell me we would have a new student in our class?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Is he expected to run each new student by you, Tamaki?” Kyoya retorted, only glancing up for a second from his notepad to catch the expression on his friend’s face. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “No!” Tamaki defended quickly, “I just mean, he obviously knows that a new student would be entering, and that she would be placed in the same class as me, I just don’t get why he wouldn’t have mentioned it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Tamaki,” Kyoya sighed, pushing up his glasses for just a moment, setting his notepad on the table flat and turning to face the blonde haired boy next to him, “What would you have even done with that information?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Well, I could have greeted her!” Tamaki all but yelled, turning quite a few heads, but at this point, most people were quite used to their banter and they swiftly looked away to indulge in their own conversations once more. One person who was not used to it, however, was the red haired girl in the front of the class. She actually was startled for a moment, but once piecing together the conversation she must have picked up on, she let out a soft laugh and turned her attention back to the teacher in front of her who appeared to have ignored the outburst altogether. Tamaki’s attention fell on Reina the second that the loud words left his mouth, and quickly fell victim to quite the blush. Kyoya’s smirk trumped it, and as he turned his attention back to his notebook, he made a quick note in it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>        “Lucky for you, you still have time for all that.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Introductions (2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Two</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        As the last few students began to make their way into the classroom, Mr. Goto stood from his desk and began to escort Reina to her seat. Tamaki sank lower into his seat and peered towards the window as the two walked past him, in embarrassment from earlier, and to everyone’s amusement, Mr. Goto sat Reina in the seat directly behind Tamaki. There were small giggles and mumbles throughout the classroom, and one student leaned in to fill the students who had just arrived in on what had happened a few minutes prior. As Mr. Goto made his way to the front of the classroom, Reina decided to keep everyone’s attention by slightly leaning forward and tapping Tamaki’s shoulder slightly. He turned his head for a second, the blush that had just begun to wear off starting to rise again, but he cleared his throat and turned himself around to face the red haired girl behind him. </p><p> </p><p>        “Reina Thompson,” she said coolly, extending her hand and tilting her head with a mischievous, yet somehow equally sweet smile. Tamaki glanced down at the hand, and within an instant, composed himself and took the hand in his own, pulling it up to his lips and planting a kiss so soft that his blush almost transferred to her. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m Tamaki Suoh, please, excuse my behavior earlier,” his voice was just as smooth as hers. Reina took a quick moment to try and decipher what just happened, and wondered if she had just been tricked. <em>Was that sheepish shit all an act?</em> She shook that thought from her head, gave a small laugh while taking her hand back. </p><p> </p><p>        “Excused,” Reina wittily retorted, before nodding towards Mr. Goto who appeared to be patiently waiting for their conversation to end. However, he would have to wait a little longer as whispers filled the classroom. </p><p> </p><p>        “She was so calm! I would have passed out if he kissed my hand,” one girl swooned, watching with such interest. </p><p> </p><p>        “I think Suoh met his match,” a guy on the other side of the room said, nudging his friend next to him, and they both chuckled. </p><p> </p><p>        “She seems witty, I think this is gonna be a funny year!” A voice said, but Reina couldn’t quite pinpoint where it came from. </p><p> </p><p>        As the room calmed, Mr. Goto began his beginning of the year welcome speech, making sure they all knew how honored he felt to be their teacher for the year. Mr. Goto ran quickly through the schedule in which he would be teaching. Mornings would be reading, then an elective. The students would then return to 2-A for their history lesson. After the history class, they would be dismissed from his teachings for our study hall in which they could go anywhere they’re most comfortable or needed, then lunch (which for most students, Reina included, it sounded like they just had an extended lunch). After lunch, the students were to return for their math lesson, and then their final class for the day would be their second elective period.</p><p> </p><p>        “I know you all are excited, both from your summer vacations and from.. New distractions today,” Mr. Goto’s voice was stern, as if he was about to warn them that it was time for school to start, but he quickly grinned, “Which is why I’m going to give you the rest of this period to talk amongst yourselves. Normally in this situation I would play an icebreaker game, but most of you are well acquainted already, and I figure you would all prefer the free time anyway. Go ahead and move around the room, I’ll be at my desk if anyone needs me.” Though, he knew, nobody would need him. </p><p> </p><p>        As if on cue, half the class was now headed to Reina’s side of the classroom. She gave them all a smile, and introduced herself to the new group circling her desk. </p><p> </p><p>        “What electives did you take? I would love if we got to spend one of them together, we’d get to know each other better!” One of the girls blurted out, a large grin stretched across her face. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, I’d love to know which ones interested you!” Another quickly said. Reina gave them all a smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I have photography for my first one, and theatre for my final class,” Reina informed. A few faces from the crowd seemed to drop, but all their faces were soon faced with the same confused look. Kyoya stood up, and as if he was Moses, the girls spread apart to reveal him, holding a similar expression of confusion, but not quite as intense. </p><p> </p><p>        “I couldn’t help but hear, but typically with electives, you get to have one that is extracurricular, and another that is academic. Could this be a mistake on our teacher’s part?” He questioned, tucking his notebook under his arm with one hand, the other reaching up to push up his glasses. Reina held up her hands in quick defense for her teacher. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, no, there wasn’t a mistake. I know, it seems unusual, but because of the way my credits are lined up, I actually don’t even need one of the credits,” Reina quickly explained, deciding to also stand. She was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with all the people around her standing. As she got up, she noticed that Tamaki had been listening in on every word from his seat. “Back at my old school, I took Japanese as both of my electives, and I had to use my study period to pick up another class at the end in order to get it all down.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Japanese? Are you saying you learned an entire language in a year?” Tamaki asked, head tilting. Even the guys on the other side of the classroom began to listen in, including Mr. Goto, who looked up from his computer to eavesdrop on his student’s conversation. Reina gave a little laugh. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, yeah. So if I sound a little stupid, at least I have a bit of an excuse. Forgive me for any miscommunications I may make at some point,” Reina bowed a little, asking for forgiveness in advance, but all of the students just stared.  </p><p> </p><p>        “Why would you only give yourself a year to learn it?” Tamaki asked, to which Reina smiled and gave him a little shrug. </p><p> </p><p>        “That was the only advance that I had, I knew I would need to speak Japanese a year ago, so I either learned and thrived,” she started softly, “Or, I didn’t. I wasn’t given much of an option besides those two. Besides, I had done it before. I mean, learning a language and being thrown into that country a year later.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Wow, what other languages do you know, Reina-chan?” One girl asked, clearly making herself pretty comfortable with the new student.</p><p>        “Well,” Reina began to think, looking down at her hand and counting as she spoke the next words, “English is my first language, and my mom taught me quite a bit of Spanish while living in America, though I wouldn’t say I’m perfectly fluent in it - Oh!” She exclaimed “But I learned Italian after, which had a lot of the same principles, so it was pretty easy to catch on. I think if I went back and relearned Spanish, maybe I could be quite good at it,” she trailed for a second, before realizing that all eyes were still on her, so she continued, “Next was France, so I had to learn French… Shortly after that, I was in the Netherlands so I learned Dutch, and now Japanese,” Reina beamed, and oohs and ahhs filled the classroom. </p><p> </p><p>        “Where was your favorite place to live so far?” One of the less talkative girls asked, wanderlust practically spilling out of her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>        “I’d love to hear more of your stories, Reina-Chan!” The comfortable girl said, taking a seat on the desk next to Reina’s.</p><p> </p><p>        “I’m taking English this year, actually, maybe you could help me with it sometime?” Tenpi said from across the room, to which Reina gave a smile and a nod his direction, before turning to everyone else in front of them and giving them all a sort of exasperated laugh. </p><p> </p><p>        “Listen, I’d love to talk all hour, trust me. But,” she looked each person in the eyes for a quick moment, “I, don’t know any of your names. I would love to hear more from you, and hear more about Ouran Academy, if you don’t mind.” Embarrassment seemed to fill through the room as more than half the class realized they had yet to properly introduce themselves. Almost in an assembly line, each student began to talk to Reina more directly. There was less of a crowd, and more so people filtering in and out of her space to talk to her more one on one. </p><p> </p><p>        As their first period finally ended and the students began to head onto their next class, Tenpi took it upon himself to escort Reina to her photography class, and Tamaki stood with Kyoya as they watched the two leave. Tamaki’s head had been swirling since he heard that she had once lived in France, and every ounce of his being wished that he would have been the one to offer to take her to her next class. Kyoya stood next to him, and finally, snapped his notebook shut after writing a hefty note in it. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, we’d better get to our next class. No point in standing around if she’s already left, Tamaki,” Kyoya teased, already strides ahead of the blonde haired boy in some kind of state of shock. Snapping out of it, Tamaki ran after him, demanding to know what he had meant by that, but the only answer Tamaki got was a small little chuckle escaping Kyoya’s lips before splitting off from him as they headed to their separate classes. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        The rest of the day settled down. Most people in her photography class didn’t recognize that she was new to the school, since it was a beginners class full of mixed grade levels. The perky girl who had taken to calling Reina ‘Reina-Chan’ was later revealed to be named Emica, did happen to share the photography class with Reina so they took their seats next to each other. Though there wasn’t much time for talking, Emica seemed to enjoy sending little comments Reina’s way every once in a while, and Reina enjoyed the presence.</p><p> </p><p>        As they all filed back into 2-A, class actually began and once it was time for study hall, almost every student left the classroom to “study” elsewhere. Tenpi had actually acquired Mr. Goto’s permission in taking Reina on a more extensive tour during their study hall, and Tamaki nearly disintegrated after hearing that he had now lost his opportunity for one on one time not once, but twice now. Once the majority of the tour was complete, they landed in the cafeteria, and Tenpi graciously offered to spend lunch with her. </p><p> </p><p>        “We don’t have to sit with my friends, they’re a bunch of guys and they’ll probably just question you a ton. I’m sure you’re sick of that today,” Tenpi laughed as they made their way through the lunch line. Reina joined and gave a little giggle. </p><p> </p><p>        “I mean, I don’t particularly mind the talking, I just think if I have to introduce myself one more time today I might explode is all,” she joked. Tenpi laughed and gave an understanding nod. They each took a tray, and after picking what they wanted, he led them to a smaller lunch table. It was in hopes that people would see the little amount of room they were taking up, and not see it as an invitation to seat themselves there. Though unfortunately for Tenpi, that wasn’t going to be the case. </p><p> </p><p>        Tamaki entered the cafeteria, alongside Kyoya, and the twins were trailing behind them. The two second years had gone on search for them during their study hall, assuming the two would have stayed with their tour guide group. They, of course, were wrong, and found the devious twins hiding out in music room 3. Which, thinking back, is probably where Tamaki and Kyoya should have started their search in the first place. Tamaki scanned the cafeteria, searching for the last two members of their devoted group, when his eyes landed on the pair of classmates sitting at a sad table for three. </p><p> </p><p>        “Why’s the boss look like he’s seen a ghost?” Quickly overlapped by, “Yeah, you almost look like someone slapped you, what’s up with that?” </p><p> </p><p>        “She’s not sitting with the girl members of our class? Why wouldn’t she?  They all seemed to like her,” Tamaki mumbled, more to himself, as the other three gazed in the direction that he was looking. The scene seemed dull, compared to what they might have been expecting. In fact, nothing was happening. The red haired girl was biting on an apple, headphones pushed in her ears, while the man across from her was hunching his back into a book he seemed very interested in. “Had I known she was looking for someone to sit with, I would have offered for her to join the host club for lunch.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I think that might be the problem, Tamaki, it doesn’t seem like she was looking for someone to sit with. She looks pretty content there by the looks of it,” Kyoya explained, though it only made Tamaki appear even more distraught than he was with the initial lonely heroine narrative. The twins peeked over at each other before looking to Kyoya for some sort of explanation on what was happening. Kyoya pushed his glasses up and closed his eyes before speaking again. “It seems as though Tamaki has gained an interest in the new girl in our class, in some way or another, and it appears that he’s become jealous over the fact that a volunteer tour guide is doing his job by touring her around.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Boss, is that true?” The twins asked together, turning their heads from Kyoya. “Are you jealo--- wait, where’d he go?” </p><p> </p><p>        Just as predictable as the twins hiding in music room 3, Tamaki had already made his way over to interrupt the peaceful, silent lunch table where the red headed new girl sat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Three Strikes (3)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Three</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        As Tamaki approached the table, he noticed two things. The first thing he noticed immediately was the loud music spilling out of Reina’s headphones, and the second was a black bookbag sat on top of the lone chair not yet occupied. Both of those items should have been a clear notice that the table did not intend, nor did they particularly want, any distractions. Both of the seated students didn’t notice the newcomer hovering over them until Tenpi went to turn the page, and happened to glance up while doing so. Startling him for only a moment, Tenpi’s expression went from taken aback, to soft, and he gave Tamaki a small little laugh of embarrassment. </p><p> </p><p>        “Suoh, hey! Didn’t see you there. Something I can do for you?” </p><p> </p><p>        “No, I just came by to see how our little foreigner was doing,” Tamaki said with a smile, casting a look in Reina’s direction, who had just noticed his presence and was beginning to pull her headphones off. “Would you mind if I sat?” Tenpi shot a look in Reina’s direction, as if trying to search her expression for any signs of discomfort to see if he needed to intervene, but when he saw none, stayed quiet and waited for her response.</p><p> </p><p>        “Not at all!” Reina quickly responded, reaching for her iPod to turn off her music altogether. Tamaki reached over the back of the cafeteria chair to pull the backpack to the ground. However in doing so, he had grabbed the bottom of the strap, and in a quick moment, what little contents the bag held were scattered across the cafeteria floor. </p><p> </p><p>        “Uh oh, strike one,” The twins mimicked, holding one finger up that Tamaki had seen from the corner of his eye. The Hitachiin brothers had parked themselves behind a long row of trash cans close enough in earshot to the table to hear. Kyoya, however, took the less stealthy approach and took a seat at a table somewhere in between the twins and the uncomfortable trio. The final two members had made their way into the cafeteria in just enough time to see the ordeal happen. Tenpi was the first to stand and start picking up the loose leaf papers from the ground, almost as if he had anticipated some sort of problem to occur. Tamaki stood still, his entire face now flushed, staring at Reina. She, after processing what had just happened, gave a short laugh and stood as well to help Tenpi in his effort to collect all the items. </p><p> </p><p>        “Allow me, Miss Thompson. I’m so sorry,” Tamaki’s soft voice echoed, dropping down onto one knee and started to aid Tenpi himself. He saw a few things, such as a map of the school and a small bottle of hand lotion, that made him realize he had just knocked all of Reina’s belongings onto the ground on her first day of school, which made him feel even worse than before. Reina reached down to grab her school bag, and held it open to ease the boys’ efforts in putting everything back in their original place. She thanked the two boys, and set the bag back on the ground, leaving the spot open for Tamaki to sit. He noticed this, and felt a sense of relief shoot over him knowing that he hadn’t ruined his chances in spending the remainder of his lunch with this new intriguing student. </p><p> </p><p>        “I assume Tamaki can lead you back to 2-A at the end of the lunch hour,  so as long as it’s okay with you Reina, I think I’m going to go inform my friends that I didn’t ditch them,” Tenpi chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as he glanced back at a large group of boys looking at him with questioning eyes. Reina gave a little glance over to Tamaki, who had the tint of a blush still cascading his cheeks, and then she smiled. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I don’t think I’ll need to assistance too much, so I won’t force Mister Suoh here to chauffeur me around if he doesn’t want to,” her eyes twinkled at the way she had addressed Tamaki, a soft mock of the way he had just addressed herself. “Go with your friends, thank you so much for your help today, Tenpi.” Tenpi gave her a small smile, mostly out of appreciation, then swung his own bag over his shoulder and headed quickly over to the group of friends awaiting his arrival. Reina looked over at Tamaki, who didn’t look like he had the words to start a conversation on his own at the moment. “You sure know how to draw a crowd, don’t you?” </p><p> </p><p>        “What do you mean by that?” Tamaki asked, his voice with a twinge of embarrassment still coursing through it. Reina motioned towards the rest of the cafeteria, showing Tamaki the amount of people still taking glances at the pair. Tamaki’s cheeks were painted a new, bolder shade of pink, and glanced down at the bag at their feet. “I’m sure I caused a ruckus, again I apologize for that.” </p><p> </p><p>        “This school doesn’t really seem boring enough to spend time still watching after the commotion had ended,” Reina reassured him, then continued, “I’m guessing you’re pretty popular here, huh? Especially with the ladies. It’s mostly the girls looking over here. Are they jealous, perhaps?” Tamaki let out a soft laugh, reached across the table and moved some of the hair out of Reina’s eyes. </p><p> </p><p>        “Are you jealous, my dear?” His voice rang heavy in her ears, but after a quick moment, her eyebrows rose and her grin widened. A soft, but very much real laugh escaped her lips, and she sat back further in her seat. After taking a moment, she pressed her eyebrows together, grin remaining. </p><p> </p><p>        “Tamaki, I’ve known you for a few hours. You’re a stranger. I don’t actually think it’s possible to gain jealousy over a person in that short amount of time,” her expression and tone held such amusement in it. “I kinda thought you were joking for a second.” Tamaki’s hand recoiled back to his side, eyes widening slightly, and with that - a shot to the ego. Kyoya’s accusation from earlier swung through his mind, the accusation that Tamaki had been jealous of Tenpi for accompanying Reina through her first day. <em>What she said makes sense, there is no way I could have been jealous,</em> he thought, his head feeling like it was spinning for a swift moment, <em>Yet somehow, I did feel hurt over it. Why was that? I’m not a tour guide, and I don’t actually know her.</em></p><p> </p><p>        “Of course I was joking,” Tamaki retorted in defense, though his voice didn’t hold much confidence. Reina simply responded a mocking “mhm,” as she popped a grape into her mouth. </p><p> </p><p>        “There’s strike two!” The twins said, loud enough for Kyoya, Honey, and Mori to hear, and held up two fingers for Tamaki to once again see through the corner of his eye. The three of them glanced back to see four eyes and the two tufts of red peering over the bins. </p><p> </p><p>        “What exactly are you two counting as strikes, anyway?” Kyoya asked. </p><p> </p><p>        “Bad things that happen to the boss,” Hikaru smirked, glancing over at Kaoru, who returned the side glance with an identically evil smirk. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, everyone knows that bad things happen in threes. As soon as the backpack incident happened, we knew this wouldn’t be any different,” Kaoru explained. Seemingly taking that answer as acceptable, the five pairs of eyes all returned to the couple a few tables away. Taking a look at the scene, it looked a lot like the initial picture they walked in on - two students silently sitting at a sad looking lunch table. Reina seemed content in the silence, just watching around the room to study the faces and behaviors of the students around. Tamaki, on the other hand, looked to be itching to continue the conversation. Finally, it dawned on him. </p><p> </p><p>        “I would assume Tenpi showed you around the inside, but did he show you much of the outside grounds?” Tamaki asked, regaining his perk once more. Reina shook herself out of any thoughts she might have had to look at him, and she shook her head softly. Tamaki’s grin grew across his face. “Excellent! I’d love to show you sometime, the grounds are beautiful! Besides, our lunch is almost over, and I’d admire the opportunity to talk to you about France more in depth.” Reina’s face softened, but her eyes held something that Tamaki couldn’t quite read. </p><p> </p><p>        “France?” She asked, her voice quiet. </p><p> </p><p>        “I lived there as well, for many years. I would love to reminisce on it together. I’m sure there are people we both know! What do you say, how about I show you around after school?” He offered, his charisma brought back by the fond memories he held of his home country. Reina studied him for a moment, then with a small smile, once again broke his ego. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe some other time. I still have unpacking to do,” she said, Tamaki’s face falling at her words. She reached down to grab her bookbag, and swiftly stood. “Thank you for the offer, Tamaki. I may take you up on it someday. However, like you said, lunch is almost over. I think I’m going to head to class a little early. See you there,” Reina concluded, giving him a short bow before grabbing her lunch tray and escaping into the crowd of others, also throwing out their scraps and leaving the cafeteria. Tamaki sat, watching after her in a state of shock. The bust of energy he just gained had just blown away in her steps and rejection. He did not pay any attention to the twins yelling “Strike three!” from across the room. </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t even know why you offered to give her a tour of the grounds after school, considering you obviously had prior engagements,” Kyoya reminded as the two shuffled into music room 3. The school day had ended, yet they were just beginning their host duties. “Our first day back is going to be a busy one, and we need all hands here to prepare.” The twins, who had caught that conversation at the tail end, immediately huddled around the distraught leader of their group. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, boss,” one said, “You would have crucified us had we been anything other than early today,” the other finished. Tamaki shrugged the pair off as he continued to walk into the room. He shot them both an aggravated glare once pushing a few steps past them, which they paid no mind to. Likewise, he paid no attention to any of their good points. </p><p> </p><p>        “I just don’t understand why she shot me down,” he admitted, his look turning from aggravated to a soft shade of hurt and confusion. “It seemed like she got upset when I mentioned France to her. Could she be lying about living there? I wouldn’t like to assume our new classmate to be a liar, but I just can’t imagine anyone having any ill will toward the luxurious, amazing country of France,” Tamaki quickly explained, which provoked a unanimous eye roll between the Hitachiin brothers. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe you’re just romanticizing it,” Kaoru said. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, I can’t really say I’m absolutely in love with Japan, and we’ve lived here our whole lives,” Hikaru added. In a split moment, Tamaki was hovering over them with anger in his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s different you idiots! Japan is a beautiful place, but nowhere compares to my home country! You two would know that if you had any semblance of knowledge on the land and history it holds!” Tamaki shrieked, receiving yet another joined eyeroll and a yawn from Hikaru shortly after. As Tamaki continued to ramble, Kyoya had already taken a seat at one of the many tables the room had to offer with his laptop wide open. Honey and Mori were beginning to set up the tables, and the twins had already pulled out some tabletop sweets prior to their current lecturing from the French man. As Tamaki took a breath, about to continue his yelling, the room silenced at Kyoya’s next words. </p><p> </p><p>        “It seems as though you were incorrect in your accusation, on whether Miss Thompson was telling us the truth or not. She attended Les Lumineux in Lyon for two years,” he informed, sliding his laptop over slightly to face the formerly irate man. In less than a moment, he was standing in front of the laptop, staring back at a photo of a younger Reina Thompson. Her school photo showed her to look almost the same; Reina’s haircut was essentially identical, with her side swept bangs and shoulder length red hair. In her photo, she wore less makeup - maybe even none at all - but that made all the sense considering she was years older now. “I was able to obtain a PDF of the school yearbook from this particular year, which was her second and last year attending, if you have any interest,” Though Kyoya knew that Tamaki did. He turned the laptop to that page, and let Tamaki soar through it. The rest of the club began to crowd, having a little bit of time to kill before the guests were to arrive and tea was to be made. </p><p> </p><p>        “Wow, she seemed to have a lot of friends!” Honey exclaimed as Tamaki scrolled through a school dance section, a photograph of Reina in a pale pink dress surrounded by other classmates on the dancefloor. Tamaki continued to look through, landing on a photo of Reina kneeling next to a boy on a stage. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Caption:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>3ème* students Reina Thompson and Chance Couture in Les Lumineux’s presentation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        “Hey, wait,” Tamaki said, looking closer at the photo then, eyes darting towards the caption. His eyes widened in realization and satisfaction both. “I knew it! We do know some of the same people, he lived in Paris with me then must have moved to Lyon! I’ll have to see if I can find a way to reconnect with him, maybe Reina would appreciate having his email as well. Or maybe she already has it and I can ask her for it!” Tamaki’s blabbering kept the majority of members from noticing the door creaking open. It wasn’t until they heard a sharp shattering noise that they recognized the new person in their presence. </p><p> </p><p>        Haruhi Fujioka would never know it, but she bought Reina a little bit more time before Tamaki would remember anything about his new quest. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>*AN - 3ème is about equivalent to 9th grade for Americans. Similar to Japan’s grade levels, high school has first, second, and third years. So Reina spent the majority of middle school years in France. :) I’m trying to stay true to other countries' ways, and will try to explain in any parts I feel I need to in these author’s notes!  Forgive me for anything I have already overlooked, I’m just an American using Google so I’m trying my best haha. Thank you!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Stolen Out of Class (4)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Four</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        The next few weeks seem to fly by for Reina. She had spent a lot more time getting to know more of her classmates and with it all, had come to the conclusion that she would probably thrive at Ouran Elite Academy. Already rapidly approaching her first month at her new school, it seemed to be going well. Reina was well liked in class, and was seldom without another person by her side as she walked along the halls. </p><p> </p><p>        A few more times throughout the first few weeks, Tamaki had offered to take her on a tour on the grounds. She had found excuses for each time in attempts to just outright reject him, but never failed to be nice to him in the classroom. He, similar to Tenpi, had also picked up an English class and would ask for her help on particular words and questions. </p><p> </p><p>        Though Reina did well in each of her classes, she thrived especially in her theatre class. She had learned that unlike the majority of her schools, the theatre class was actually where you went to be a part of the school productions as opposed to being a part of those as afterschool activities. The past few weeks, they had been script reading and searching for their next school play. The tight knit class had warmed up to her easily, and Reina somehow knew that she would be a shoe in for one of the major roles in the next production they decided to pick. </p><p> </p><p>        In her home life, it was going as it usually did. It was often a little hard to warm up to the new host parents she had been placed with immediately. It normally took her just over a month to completely feel comfortable with them. Sora had done an excellent job of making her feel welcome, though Reina didn’t see much of Saito. It was clear that he was busy, and Reina’s assumption was that with Sora being an empty nester, she had signed up to take on host students in order to feel less lonely in the big house. </p><p> </p><p>        The week was finally almost over. Reina entered her theatre class and gave her greetings to all her new friends before heading straight over to the bookshelf of scripts and picking up another to read through. The class’s deadline to pick a production was fast approaching, and Reina was taking it upon herself to pick the script of the day in hopes that this would be the perfect one. </p><p> </p><p>        Halfway through the class, the students took a break from their reading to discuss whether or not they thought it might be a plausible option. Once again, they kicked the script into the ever growing “maybe” pile and ventured back to the somewhat daunting bookshelf to pick up what Reina felt would be their 500th maybe option. She picked up one that seemed to have a good name, handed it to her teacher to begin once more. Just as she was about to sit, the large double doors creaked open to reveal a cool Tamaki Suoh. </p><p> </p><p>        “Mr. Suoh! I’ve been expecting you,” Mrs. Tanaka said, setting the playbook down for a moment to stand and greet the second year. “The costumes you’ve requested are in the costume loft, I’m sure someone here would be more than willing to help you over there,” Tamaki’s eyes met Reina for a moment, disregarding the eyes of all the girls in the room boring into him in hopes that they would be picked to help out. He gave her a soft smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “It looks like Reina is already up to help,” he teased, which caused a few snickers. One of the classmates even nudged Reina, though she stood still with a small smirk. </p><p> </p><p>        “Are you asking me to accompany you, Tamaki?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Would you reject?” He asked, eyes gleaming to reflect hers. A few more laughs could be heard, but Reina’s quiet one was the only laugh that Tamaki heard. It seemed they both knew what he was referring to, her prior rejections to his requested outings. She softly shook her head, and went to take her first step in his direction, but his words stopped her first. “Mrs. Tanaka, would you mind so much if I were to steal her for the rest of your class time? Reina’s tour of the school was never fully completed, and I plan to make sure she doesn’t get lost around here anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Not at all, Reina, make sure you take your bag with you. We’ll all let you know on Monday if this is the one,” she responded, waving the script and sending her a wink. Reina glanced back at her teacher for a moment, and when she turned back around, Tamaki was already at her desk gathering her belongings for her. He was clearly making sure that he was grabbing it by the correct end this time, though. <em>Was I just tricked?</em> She thought. She smiled and gave a bow to her teacher before following behind Tamaki out the double doors. She heard the whispers of her classmates behind her, ones that she practically tuned out to turn back into her own thoughts. <em>He had to have just tricked me, right? He could have come to this classroom any other time of the day. He HAD to come during my period, and he HAD to pick me to come with him.</em></p><p> </p><p>        “You always said you were too busy, so I figured it might be best if I created some time for you,” Tamaki told her, as if reading her mind. “So either we go on a walk around the grounds, or you can just tell me that you’re not interested and I’ll finally back off, and you get to leave school early on a Friday. It seems like a win-win situation to me, for you, of course,” his voice echoed a slight sadness during the last part of his explanation. Reina walked silently towards the costume lost for a few moments before letting out an exasperated laugh. </p><p> </p><p>        “You’re actually ridiculous. You do have to know that, right?” She asked, stopping at another set of double doors and opening it to show rows upon rows of costumes. She turned to look at him, and saw a pair of pleading eyes looking back at her. Ignoring those for just a moment, she began to walk into the room, but was stopped by a hand grabbing at her own. She turned her body back around to see those pleading eyes once more, which she met and stared into for much longer than the first time. </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you reject?” He asked, the grip on her hand loosening, but not yet letting go fully. Reina stared up at him for a few moments longer, before giving him a soft smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, I don’t,” She softly responded, taking her hand back and entering the room to find a bag of neatly folded costumes with Tamaki’s name written on it. “I’d love to accompany you today.” Reina reached out to grab the bag of clothes, but Tamaki quickly intercepted and grabbed it himself. </p><p> </p><p>        “Allow me, princess.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Princess, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>        “Is that okay to call you?” He asked. “It seems only suitable.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I guess you are carrying around my bag, so I am acting a bit like a princess,” Reina retorted, reaching out to grab the bag from him but he once again intercepted and didn’t allow her. She gave a soft laugh and shrugged. “Fine, if you insist. I won’t complain too loudly about not needing to carry it around. So, what is it that you need these costumes for?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Why, for my host club!” Tamaki perked up, beginning to exit the room. Reina followed, turning off the lights and closing the door behind them. She cocked her head at him, waiting for him to continue. “I am the founder and dear president of the host club. Kyoya from our class is my vice president! I’m very proud of it.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Weird, I didn’t know that about you two,” Reina thought out loud, then looked over at him. “That you were a part of a host family.” </p><p> </p><p>        “And a family we are,” Tamaki grinned, more excited strides in lieu of his traditional steps. Reina gave a soft laugh, and he turned to her. “Reina, you should join us today. After our tour, of course,” he sent a wink her way. “I’m sure you would love it and love getting to know others like us.” By ‘us’, Tamaki referred to himself and Kyoya, other host club members. To Reina, she was included in that ‘us’, and she anticipated meeting other members of the host family program. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sure, Tamaki. I’ll at least stop by at the end of our walk,” she said. <em>Though, that’s strange that he would invite me. I don’t ever remember telling anyone that I lived with a host family</em>, she thought. Tamaki continued their walk towards the music room 3. Upon arriving, Tamaki set down both the costume bag and Reina’s backpack. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’ll go ahead and leave this here, since you’ll be joining me back here after our tour,” he grinned, eyes twinkling with soft mischief. <em>So, he didn’t trust that I would actually come back then,</em> Reina thought sadly. She watched as he pulled out a notepad from a cabinet, and with a pen, quickly wrote a note and placed it on the front table. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Note: </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’ll be late today, postpone all of my guests for today and apologize on my behalf</em>
</p><p>
  <em>- Daddy</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>        “Well, it seems as though it’s my time to shine as your new tour guide!” Tamaki beamed, offering his arm out to Reina, which she took in her hand. He led her out of the room and soon they landed in the back of the building. Green scenery met Reina, and she took a moment to take it all in before they started to walk through it all. </p><p> </p><p>         “Hey, I guess I didn’t really ask directly. What would a host club need with some costumes?” Reina asked, gazing up at Tamaki as he directed her. He shot a smile down in her direction. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, princess, we love to explore other cultures,” he started, pride flowing through his words and actions. Tamaki was clearly basking in the interest Reina held in his beloved club, and Reina was admiring the false picture she had planted in her head of a club filled with others who held her same experiences. “Besides, it’s just fun to cosplay a little bit sometimes, if I’m being honest. And everyone seems to enjoy it.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I can see that,” Reina concluded with a nod, “Especially I’m sure everyone is so culturally diverse in the club.” Tamaki’s brain immediately fled to nationality, and with a grin, he realized that being half Japanese and half French gave him a clear advantage in that aspect. </p><p> </p><p>        “That may be so, but I think I am the most diverse of them all,” he gloated, pride actually seemed to be radiating off of him. Reina thought back to the amount of traveling she had done in the last few years, and gave him a smirk. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe you don’t want me to join your club, I think I might beat you out on that,” she grinned, giving him a teasing little wink that almost brought a blush to his cheeks. Not wanting to embarrass himself, he turned back to Tour-Guide-Tamaki and continued to lead her around. </p><p> </p><p>        School had ended, but their tour did not. Tamaki had led her through the beautiful hedge maze and sat down in one of the built-in gazebos. Reina had just been taking in all the beautiful scenery mostly silently, though something about her silence was endearing to Tamaki. Finally, she looked to Tamaki, with a question that had pent up. </p><p> </p><p>        “So, you said you were from France originally,” she started, and his eyes lit up, though Reina knew she wouldn’t be partaking in the types of conversations he would have wanted to. “But you seemed shocked that I learned Japanese in a year. How long did it take you to learn it?” A sad smile brushed across his lips as he heard the words leave her mouth. Tamaki reclined back further into the gazebo bench and looked out at the roses blooming against the hedge walls. </p><p> </p><p>        “I had always known Japanese, since my dad is originally from here. My mom always wanted to make sure that I had both sides of my heritage instilled in me, so even though we typically spoke French to each other, I was raised bilingual,” he explained softly. “My dad would speak to me in both languages, so I think he held that same endearment for my mixed heritage as my mother did.” Reina sent him a soft smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s so sweet of them,” she almost whispered, then let out a soft sigh. “That would have been much easier. My mother is Japanese, but since my father doesn’t know the language, she never spoke it around me. He found it disrespectful.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Your father never learned Japanese for your mom? Why not?” He asked, shifting his gaze from the roses to the girl sitting beside him, though this time she did not meet his look. She sat staring up at the sky, watching as the free birds soared above, then over the gazebo and out of her sight. Searching for words, she found many. </p><p> </p><p>        “Busy,” was the only word she felt was appropriate to use. Tamaki watched her face for any feelings he could read, but found none. He reclined back once more, followed her gaze up to the sky, and softly reached over and clasped his hand in hers. </p><p> </p><p>        They sat like that for a few more minutes before Reina found the ability to peer over at him. Tamaki, too, was looking over at her from the corner of his eye. They met for a second, before the couple let out a little laugh. </p><p>        “Caught you,” she teased, before taking her hand back and standing up from the bench. “You’re already super late to your club, we should probably head that way.” He gave a soft nod, still smiling from the laugh he had let out. Once again, Tamaki Suoh offered out his arm to Reina, and this time, she linked her arm through his entirely. They walked back to music room 3, once again in a peaceful silence. Upon arriving, however, Tamaki was prepared to revert back into his chipper persona. The majority of the guests had filtered out at that point, but Tamaki did notice one or two who were saying their goodbyes to their selected hosts. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, it seems like we are pretty late,” Tamaki admitted, his face seeming flushed. He had wanted to show Reina the club in all its glory, and unfortunately this was not one of those times. “However, my princess, I would be happy to partake in a drink with you. Do you have a preference?” Reina thought for a moment, then gave a little smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you.. Have any coffee? My year in Italy got me hooked,” Reina admitted with a smile. Tamaki’s eyes widened, and in a quick dash, he was gone and back again with a brand new container of the club’s latest craze - instant coffee. He led Reina over to his typically hosting area as he filled her in on the club’s recent addition, Haruhi, and how Haruhi introduced them all to instant coffee. Reina listened in with interest as he made the two cups. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>A/N: Let me know what you think so far! :) Thanks!</em>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. First Afternoon as a Host Guest (5)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Five</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        “Hey Kyoya,” Kaoru whispered to the vice president, who was seated at a table. </p><p> </p><p>        “Isn’t that the girl who rejected the boss?” Hikaru whispered as well, appearing on the opposite side of the youngest Ootori son. Kyoya peered up, then went back to work on his computer. </p><p> </p><p>        “It would appear so,” he responded coolly. </p><p> </p><p>        “So he finally wore her down then,” Hikaru concluded out loud, then glanced over at Kaoru with a devious smile. “Hey, what do you say we try and win her over?” </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s like we have the same mind,” Kaoru said, grinning back as they practically dashed over to where the two second years sat. </p><p> </p><p>        “Boss, how is that you get all the cute girls?” Kaoru whined, as he sat himself right next to Reina. Hikaru slid onto the other side, with all three of them now sitting across from a fuming Tamaki. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t think the boss plays fair at all, I’m sure she would have picked us instead, Kaoru,” Hikaru reassured his brother, before both of them looked down at the very confused girl in the middle of them. </p><p> </p><p>        “Hikaru, Kaoru, Miss Thompson is my guest and - “</p><p> </p><p>        “No, wait,” Reina said softly, stopping Tamaki in his tracks, “I’d love to talk to all of you,” she grinned, looking between the three of them. “Though, I have to ask, Tamaki, what normally goes on in the club?” </p><p> </p><p>        “We typically just converse with princesses like you,” Tamaki responded, though his glare towards the two twins had yet to subside. Reina gave him a warm smile, her attention directed solely on him for that moment, which calmed his nerves. <em>I wonder if this is how my guests feel when they have to share me with other members</em>, Tamaki wondered, <em>Maybe I need to set aside time for more one-on-one meetings with my girls, because if they’re feeling as pissed off as I am, then their pain is truly feeling validated right about now.</em></p><p> </p><p>        “I guess that makes sense. I’m sure everyone has such interesting stories to tell. How many homes have you lived in, Tamaki?” She asked. The three boys exchanged glances at the odd question, but gave her a smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, we moved once in France, and then the home here, so that would mean I marked three homes with my presence, princess,” he answered with a smile. Reina’s eyes widened a little in surprise. </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s funny! I had two families in France as well,” Once again, confused glances were cast amongst the three boys. The rest of the host club, now without guests, were also listening in at this point. “Counting the family here in Japan, I’ve been with five separate families. What about you two, how many different families have you lived with?” </p><p> </p><p>        “We’ve only lived with one family,” Kaoru said, looking between Reina and Hikaru, who had confusion written all across his face. </p><p> </p><p>        “My princess, I know that Japanese is not your first language,” Tamaki approached the conversation softly, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “I’m thinking that we might be having a language barrier issue. You’re asking how many families the twins have lived with?” When Reina nodded, as if it was obvious, Tamaki sat dumbstruck for a moment. Footsteps approached from behind, and Kyoya was the first to speak. </p><p> </p><p>        “I think I can clear up the confusion here, Miss Thompson,” Kyoya said, making everyone in the room turn to him. “I’m aware of the fact that you’re here in Japan with a host family program, so I can only assume that when Tamaki invited you here to his host club, you were expecting it to be a club for people who might also be in the same program as you are. I regret to inform you that is not the case. We’re a club of young men who host young women in the afternoons and spend time with them.” All eyes turned to Reina, who at this point, was red with absolute embarrassment. “I can definitely see how you would have confused it though,” Kyoya reassured with a soft smile her way. Reina stood and turned to everyone staring at her, then looked over to Tamaki, who was also red. Tamaki was beyond embarrassed for having caused this mess, especially now that he was picking up on all the strange comments that he pushed aside early. After a long moment of silence, a short laugh escaped her lips. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well,” she said, and almost laughed again. Her face was still a bright red, but there was no way to stop that at this point. “That’s.. Really, really embarrassing for me. I’m sorry to have caused confusion, I should probably leave,” she said as quick as the words could come. Before Tamaki could object, Reina whipped over to her bag and swung it over her shoulder, and turned to look at Tamaki. “Thanks for the tour, uh, I’ll see you Monday,” and swiftly slipped out the door. </p><p> </p><p>        The room sat quiet for a second, before the twins were on the ground with laughter. They were howling, and what phrases were coming from what twin were undetermined. </p><p> </p><p>        “Tamaki didn’t even tell her what our club was!” </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s worse then all the strikes he had in the cafeteria!” </p><p> </p><p>        “If those were strikes, then he just lost the whole game this time.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Kyoya,” Tamaki said softly, ignoring the screaming twins for just a moment, though he realistically wanted to bash both their heads in. “How long did you know that she was a foreign exchange student? I didn’t even know that Ouran had a foreign exchange program.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Though Ouran doesn’t have their own exchange program set up, there are still outside programs that allow foreign students to go to school here,” Kyoya explained. “A typical foreign exchange program would take one student from school one and another from school two, and would have them swap. So they would live in the opposite person’s home, go to that person’s school, and be placed in that person’s class. On the other hand, the program that Reina goes through allows her to travel to any region she picks without having to find a partner to swap with, and she lives in homes that have signed up to have students stay live there for however long the parties choose.” Tamaki blinked twice, then looked down at his hands. <em>Busy,</em> he thought, <em>that word feels a little different now after knowing the situation.</em></p><p> </p><p>        “Did I hear her say that she lived with five different host families?” Haruhi asked, and Kyoya nodded in response. A small sniffle could be heard. All eyes, even the twins from the ground, turned to look at Honey clutching onto his pink stuffed rabbit and tears in his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>        “I feel sad for her. She’s spent five years going different places, not knowing anyone and not having her family by her side. She thought that she was going to meet a lot of people who could understand what she went through,” Honey explained, wiping the tears with the sleeve of his blazer. The room’s atmosphere went somber as everyone thought about it. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t know what I would do if I was sent off to a new place every year without Hikaru,” Kaoru said, all humor now out of his system as he sat up from his laying position to sit on the floor. Hikaru stared at Kaoru for a second, trying to picture the fear and anguish that he would have to go through without his companion by his side, but shook the thought from his head as it felt far too grim. Haruhi narrowed her eyes at the two boys still sprawled out along the floor. </p><p> </p><p>        “Weren’t you two just laughing at her?” She asked, which caused a scoff to come from the two. “Don’t go acting all sad now.” </p><p> </p><p>        “We weren’t laughing at her,” Hikaru rolled his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, we were laughing at the boss. Seems like Tamaki just can’t get it right with that girl,” Kaoru clarified, letting out a small chuckle after the words came out, directly before turning to Tamaki and losing his grin again. The rest of the room followed Kaoru’s gaze to see Tamaki no longer seated in his original position, but now leaned up against the windowsill. He was looking out the window, down at the ground. He had just happened to catch Reina climbing into a family car, and her blush could still be seen even at the height Tamaki was at. Both hands shoved in his pockets, he watched as the car drove off, out of sight, and then he let his head drop further, staring down at his shoes. The hosts all stayed quiet, not wanting to disrupt their president’s thoughts. <em>Did she come to the club looking for friends who understood, like Honey had said? Did I get her hopes up on something that wasn’t real? </em> Tamaki pondered. <em>She was so excited to talk to us about the different places we’d experienced, and we had nothing for her. </em> He thought for a moment longer, before turning his gaze to Kyoya, who was patiently waiting for the question that he knew was to come next. </p><p> </p><p>        “What else did you find out about her?” Tamaki asked, and Kyoya began his embark towards his belongings that held all of the answers to Tamaki’s questions. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, for starters, since Reina’s parents are from America, I wasn’t familiar with their company,” Kyoya started, opening his laptop to pull up the documents and photos he had found from his research. “I was able to locate Reina’s father and found out that the company originally started out as a travel agency, but has since expanded to owning a luxury hotel franchise as well. Which is a genius idea when you think about it, because the travel agency can just send its customers to their own hotels and reap all the benefits from it.”</p><p> </p><p>        “What else?” Tamaki pushed, clearly not the information he was looking for. Kyoya sent him a glance before pulling up an outdated article on his laptop. Tamaki made his way over to look at it. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Lux Hotels officially built in France, three new locations, including one in Paris</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Pictured below the headline was a large photograph of a family standing in front of a set of exquisite double doors, “Lux” stretched across the doors in cursive English. The couple stood, each holding a twin boy looking to be about 2 or 3. In front of the couple stood a little girl, around the age of 6, grinning a big toothy smile. Tamaki studied the faces he saw. The woman looked to be about 40 years old, and was clearly Japanese. She had long brown hair going past her chest, and equally brown eyes. Immediately, Tamaki recognized Reina’s smile in the woman. He moved along to the man in the picture, and saw a stranger. He, similar to his wife, had brown eyes and brown hair, but he looked much older than the woman next to him. Tamaki’s solid guess was he was 55. He could not see any of Reina in the man, though the younger boys favored him greatly. The little girl in the front of the picture was a carbon copy of her mother. Tamaki’s attention moved to the caption of the photo. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Pictured (left to right):</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kimi Yoshida-Thompson and Eric Thompson with three of their children, Asher, Hannah, and Ezra, in front of Lux Hotel’s newest location in Paris, France.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Tamaki’s eyes glided over to the date. It read February 12th, 2005. The gears in his brain began to move, and a fire built up inside of him. <em>If the math was correct, then…</em></p><p> </p><p>        “Why isn’t Reina in this photo? She was going to school in Lyon at the time,” he pondered out loud, rereading the date and going over the timeline in his head over and over again. Kyoya glanced over his notes, then simply shrugged and sat his notebook back down. </p><p> </p><p>        “Who’s to say?” He asked, though it was clear that the answer wasn’t sufficient in Tamaki’s mind. Tamaki stared at the screen for another second before turning to Kyoya. Knowing his friend’s cues, Kyoya slid the laptop back into his position and began to pull up more documents. He showed Tamaki the screen once more. “Everything she said seemed to be correct, I was able to locate all of her school photos from each of the countries she claimed to live in.” He clicked through the photos, starting with a picture of Reina at 13, and gradually moving up. Tamaki recognized the red hair and green eyes in each photo, but as the girl moved up in age, he was able to see a gradual decline in her smiles the pictures held. From beaming and toothy, to small and sad looking. The last picture startled him the most, the one understandably from Holland. Her eyes looked tired and had a sense of sadness, with almost no smile to be seen. Tamaki glanced over the photos once more to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. </p><p> </p><p>        “Note to self,” Hikaru started. </p><p> </p><p>        “Holland doesn’t seem all that great,” Kaoru ended as they peeked over Tamaki’s shoulders, then cast a glance to the other, and lifted their arms in a shrug. </p><p> </p><p>        “No family holidays there, I guess,” they both concluded, as if crossing it off their bucket list. </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you have any idea where she might be staying, Kyoya?” Tamaki asked, and Kyoya once again picked up his notebook. </p><p> </p><p>        “Typically, that sort of information is classified to help protect the students in the host program,” Kyoya warned, but shot the staring eyes a little smile. “However, we all know I have my ways. Once checking through the families who live in the area to attend Ouran who also have signed up for the host program, and after having one of my father’s police force members follow her home one afternoon, I’ve concluded that she’s staying with the Higurashi family,” Kyoya said, taking his laptop back into his possession and pulling up a photo of Sora and Saito. “They own an art museum here in Japan that seems to perform fairly well. All of their children have since left onto their own separate companies, aside from their youngest who now creates pieces of art for the museum, so Reina is presumably living as an only child this year.” </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s even sadder,” Honey wailed, pushing his head into Mori’s thigh as the taller cousin pet his head to comfort the small boy. “That means she doesn’t even have a friend in her own home.” Tamaki’s eyes widened in realization of just how alone this girl must feel. Kyoya looked around at his friends, and gave a soft sigh, once again feeling the need to be a voice of reason. </p><p> </p><p>        “Reina seems to be getting along with a lot of our classmates, and even more so in her elective classes. Just because someone has to spend a few hours alone in the comfort of their own home doesn’t mean that we should pity them,” Kyoya reminded, closing his laptop on that note and beginning to pack up his belongings. “After five years, I’m sure she’s used to the path she’s chosen to travel around. Let’s remember, that is in fact a luxury. I’d pay to get away for a year.” Tamaki once again was reminded of that word from earlier, <em>“Busy”</em>, and felt like maybe this wasn’t actually a choice Reina had made on her own. Though, he pushed this aside. </p><p> </p><p>        “Kyoya’s right, maybe we shouldn’t be assuming her feelings right now,” Tamaki concluded with a nod, then turned to Kyoya. “Is there anything else I should know?”</p><p> </p><p>        “I have more that I’m diving into, but for you, there’s nothing else you need to know. Not for this chapter, at least,” He said, a small little twinkle in his eye. <em>All in good time.</em></p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A Friend in the House, and the Email (6)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter 6</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina climbed out of the car and gave her driver a farewell for the weekend before heading inside. Though she had found friends well enough to occupy her time during school, there weren’t many times she made plans to see anyone during her weekends and freetime after school. When Reina entered the home, she kicked off her shoes and quickly replaced them with the fuzzy slippers that Sora had graciously provided for. Dropping her backpack onto the hooks set up for those items next to the door, she stretched a little and let out a soft sigh. <em>There’s no way that I can even think about any of my homework tonight</em>, she thought, hands reaching up to touch her temples in need of a rub. After a minute or two of standing in the empty foyer, she ventured up to her room. </p><p> </p><p>        It didn’t take long before it was dinner time, and once again, only Sora sat at the table when Reina arrived. Reina bowed before sitting. </p><p> </p><p>        “Good afternoon,” Reina greeted, taking the water pitcher from the middle of them to pour her glass full. Sora gave her a smile and picked up her chopsticks now that the two of them were present. </p><p> </p><p>        “Good afternoon,” Sora responded, and once Reina picked up her own chopsticks, Sora started to eat. After a few minutes of silently eating, she decided to try and strike up conversation. “Tell me, Reina. How has your week been?” Reina glanced up, mouth full of noodles, with a little bit of surprise. After successfully swallowing, she smiled. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s been good, if not a little busy. It seems like the school work here is a gradual incline,” Reina explained. “Other schools I’ve been to have been hard work from the first day, so I guess maybe I thought I had gotten off easy.” Sora let out a laugh and she nodded, picking up her water glass and taking a swig really quick. </p><p> </p><p>        “You know,” she said, “All three of my sons went to Ouran, too. From what I can remember, it would get harder as the semester ended, but you’ll get another break once the second semester begins,” Sora ended, giving Reina a reassuring smile. Reina’s shoulders seemed to shrug down in relief, as if letting go of some built up tension in them. </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s good to hear,” Reina smiled, then thought for a moment. “So you have three sons? How long ago did they attend Ouran?”</p><p> </p><p>        “Not that long ago for my youngest, but my oldest graduated about twelve years ago,” Sora nodded as she thought back. “They’re 30, 26, and 22. My oldest has given me two grandchildren so far, and the middle just got married last fall so I’m assuming that’s not too far off,” she let out a laugh and pushed her empty bowl forward. “My youngest son is a character, I’m not sure I’ll ever get a daughter-in-law or grandkids out of him, he’s definitely on his own path.” Reina had finished her own meal while Sora talked, and the maids had already come by to clean up after them. </p><p> </p><p>        “I can understand that,” Reina admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll ever really have a desire to get married either. I’d maybe adopt a kid or something, but I guess I kind of gave up on the idea of a traditional relationship where I could also feel happy. It seems hard to find,” Reina admitted sheepishly, before finishing her water and staring into the glass. </p><p> </p><p>        “You’ll find someone, my dear,” Sora said, before a short sadness took over. “Being happy is a choice. There is a safe option, and there’s an option you can fight for. You make the choice on if you want to fight. Take it from me, I suggest that you do.” Something about the empty seat at the head of the table led Reina to assume that her host mother was speaking from experience. A maid emerged from the kitchen once more with a tray that had one cup on it; Sora’s nightly routine of tea after dinner. Typically, Reina did not take part in this part of the evening, but she felt she couldn’t end the conversation there without feeling bad for potentially leaving Sora in her thoughts at the empty table. Reina looked up at the maid, and gave her a smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you think you could bring me some coffee and creamer?” Reina asked, which left both the maid and Sora with a surprised expression, but the maid simply nodded and headed back into the kitchen to retrieve the items. “I hope you don’t mind me intruding on your tea time,” Reina quickly said. <em>Maybe she likes to be alone, I didn’t think about that. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t mind at all, in fact I appreciate the company,” Sora reassured with a smile, taking the spoon from her tray and scooping a little bit of honey from a small sauce bowl and stirring it into her tea. The maid soon returned with Reina’s coffee, and Sora waited until the younger girl had fixed her coffee to her liking before taking her first sip. “Well, you have a long time to think about husbands, but what about boys now? You’re a pretty girl, surely the boys are all over you at school. Come on, tell me about it,” Sora grinned, the gossiper in her springing out on the spot. Reina laughed and thought about it, and within a moment, her mind screamed ‘Tamaki’. <em>Why did I think of him first? I guess, probably because of everything that happened today. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I wouldn’t say all over me, to be honest,” Reina admitted. “At the beginning, it seemed like a lot of guys were striking conversations with me, but I think that had more to do with being new. Now that it’s been a little while, a few of the guys still talk to me frequently. It’s also a little hard, because I don’t know if this is Japan or just Ouran, but everyone just seems so… Nice,” Reina said, eyebrows drawing together, which almost made Sora spit her tea out with a roar of laughter. She set her teacup back down and looked over to Reina with a smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s Japan. Our whole upbringing, we’re all taught our manners very aggressively. Sometimes, maybe too aggressive,” she laughed a little. Reina gave a nod in understanding. “But tell me about some of these boys! I would love to hear about some of your suitors.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Well, like I said, I don’t think they’re quite suitors,” Reina warned, “But I can tell you about the guys who are nice to me. I guess maybe I’ll start with Tenpi. He’s in my class, I actually met him first. He was my tour guide so he showed me around my first day,” she explained. A little ‘ooh’ came from the other side of the table. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sounds like a love story waiting to happen,” Sora swooned, teacup still up to her lips, which made Reina laugh a little bit.</p><p> </p><p>        “No, I don’t think so. He’s a very nice guy, but I think he’s just trying to do his job still. He asks me everyday in class if I have any questions or need any help with anything regarding the school, but that’s about where the conversation typically ends,” she said. “Like I said, very nice guy, but I believe he’s just trying to make me feel comfortable. Which, of course, I appreciate. I’m not too sure if I could see myself with him anyway, he’s more of a jock type and that’s just not my style.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Well, what’s your style, my dear?” Reina heard the question fine, but it still took her a minute to respond. </p><p> </p><p>        “I mean.. Maybe I don’t quite have a type. I don’t know, I’ve always been into theatre, so I figured maybe the theatre kids would be my type, but… The options I have there don’t really fit me either,” Reina admitted, and Sora gave her a hand signal to continue talking about them. “There are a few third years in there that seemed to have taken a liking to me, but they seem a little immature despite being older than I am. One of them, his name is Hiroto. He’s… nice, but also very arrogant. He seems to flirt with me one moment, and then talk about a date he went on another.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Perhaps he’s trying to make you jealous?” Sora tried, taking another quick sip. Reina looked down at her own coffee before taking a drink of it as well, then shrugging. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe. He did ask me on a date around my second week, but I declined,” Reina said, prepared to finish the story, but Sora’s eyes almost popped out of her head. </p><p> </p><p>        “Why did you decline, Reina?” Sora scoffed, eyes still wide. Reina gave her a smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “I just didn’t like the way he asked me. I mean, he didn’t ask me, he told me we would be going out and I told him I was busy that day,” Reina said, and as Sora eyed her, Reina shrugged. “I wasn’t busy, of course, but I want the option. Telling me as opposed to asking me is pretty different in my opinion. Anyway, so there’s him, and there are two more third years who seemed to have an interest, but they back off when Hiroto is around, which doesn’t make me think they’re the types to stand their ground,” To which Sora nodded in understanding. </p><p> </p><p>        “That's very understandable, to be turned away from those who can't stand their ground. So, just those few?” Sora asked, and Reina’s eyes darted down back into her coffee cup. Her finger subconsciously scratched at the mug, trying to think of whether or not to mention Tamaki. But as soon as her cheeks flared up, Reina knew there would be no way to talk her way out of it so she took a quick drink of her coffee before continuing. </p><p> </p><p>        “There’s one more, in fact I spent the afternoon with him today,” Reina began, ignoring the wide grin setting across Sora’s face. “It’s been really interesting with him, actually. Not always in the best ways though. I teased him a little bit when I first met him, and it felt like fun banter in a way. But, then he mentioned that he also lived in France, and I sort of shut down for a little bit,” Reina cast a glance towards the elder woman in front of her, then shot her eyes back down into her coffee cup. “My end few weeks in France weren’t ideal, and I tried to block it from my memory a little bit. So when he told me that he wanted to take me on a tour of the outside grounds of Ouran and talk about France, I got a little scared and ignored him for a few weeks.” </p><p> </p><p>        “But you said you spent the afternoon with him?” She asked, resting her chin upon her hand. Reina nodded, eyes still cast into the last few ounces of her coffee. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, he actually got me out of my class,” <em>The class I have Hiroto, now that I think about it. </em>“He told me that either I could let him take me on the tour, or I could go home early and he would back off. I really appreciated that, to be honest. Honestly I would have gone with him either way, I think, but like I said I like the option,” she admitted. “Even if I didn’t really want to, I’d been declining him for weeks. And he had these crazy puppy eyes, so even though I technically had a choice, there would have been no way to say no to him.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Well then? How did it go?” Reina was silent for another moment more, cheeks flaring up a little bit. </p><p> </p><p>        “It was good, I think, until the end. He was really sweet during our tour, and though I didn’t want to talk too much about France, it was nice to have someone who could relate to me, at least in one way or another.  He invited me to his club, and I accepted, but there was… a language barrier issue, that was really embarrassing, so I rushed out,” Reina quietly admitted, still not looking up. Sora let out a little giggle as she covered her mouth, attempting to not be rude. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m sure whatever it was will blow over by next week,” Sora gleamed. “At least, I hope it does. He sounds like the best one out of the bunch, and I want to hear more stories about this young man.” Reina finally looked up at Sora to see a twinkle in her eye. It finally dawned on her just how lonely her host mom must be, with no kids in the home and a husband stuck in work. Reina was realizing that, at some point, she could relate to Sora. <em>If telling her about my days is what’s going to bring her some joy, then so be it. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “I promise you I’ll tell you everything,” Reina smiled, then stood. “But that’s all I have for tonight. I think it’s time for me to resign for the night.” Sora gave her a smile and a nod, standing as well to exit off to her own room. Before Reina could turn to leave, however, Sora sent her one last comment. </p><p> </p><p>        “Just so you’re aware, we do have a driver on staff at all times. You’re welcome to use it at any point, if need be at some point. Just leave me a note,” Sora smirked, and gave her a nod. “I had three sons, I understand that no freedom creates sneaky children, and I’d prefer you to be safe and honest.” Reina’s face was a soft shade of pink but she gave a quick nod, and rushed up to her room. <em>The last thing I need in my life is the sex talk from my host mom, </em>Reina thought as she shut the door to her room. She let out a soft sigh and looked around at the bare room before heading to her vanity and picking up her laptop from the top of it. Bringing it over to her bed, she opened it up and began to open up her regular programs she would check. Upon opening her email, she saw one in particular that stuck out amongst the rows of spam </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To: Reina </em>
</p><p>
  <em>From: Connor Duffy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subject: Check in </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hey sweet girl! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I wanted to check in on you and see how your first few weeks have been. I would love to hear about it, and to know what you’re going through. I hope you’ve had some time to travel around, Japan is beautiful. Cherry blossom season is coming soon, you should send me some pictures! </em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you need money or any assistance with traveling (should you so desire to do so), or with anything else, you know that I’ll send you money or travel out in a heartbeat. I think that could be super fun, just like when I took you to go see the Eiffel Tower. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope to hear back from you soon. Tell me how I can help you, or if there’s a time I can come see you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina read over the message a few times, trying to decide how to respond. <em>I don’t think I have the emotional energy to go over everything that’s happened, </em>she sighed out loud as she thought, <em>I’m sure a synopsis would do.</em> She leaned up against the headboard and pulled her legs up, bent at the knees, and placed her laptop in between her stomach and legs as she began to type. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To: Connor Duffy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From: Reina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subject: Re: Check in </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hey, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Things are going okay. The first two or so weeks were spent trying to get past the jetlag, so aside from school and dinner, I was just coming home and sleeping. So no traveling going on here. My workload for school has gotten heavier, but my host mom told me that it should cool down towards the beginning of next semester, so that made me feel better at least. My weekends are pretty much free though, if you wanted to come on a weekend, but I know that’s a long trip for such a short amount of time. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I think I’m okay on money. Aside from school lunches, I haven’t made many purchases recently. I’ll need to decorate this white room here soon, but I know I have enough money for all of that. Thank you, though. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’ve made a few friends at school, most people just seem really excited to have a new student here. I haven’t really found a true group yet, but I have enough people to talk to in my classes and stuff that I’m happy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Just let me know what the plan is, if you wanted to visit. Like usual, hotel is going to be the best case scenario. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hope all is well with you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She hit send and with that, decided to call it a night. She pulled up the movie player on her laptop and turned her pick on, turning off the lights and soon falling asleep. She woke up to an email response, and a direct deposit of just over 300,000 yen in her account, equivalent to $3000 US. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To: Reina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From: Connor Duffy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subject: Re:Re: Check in</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I sent you some money for you to treat yourself. Maybe take a friend shopping with you to get stuff for your new room, or some clothes, or just save it for a rainy day. If you need more, you know you can always ask. Let’s plan on maybe a month from now, I’ll be in touch with you once I get the details figured out. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>        She read the message over once more, before deciding that maybe an extra hour of sleep wouldn’t hurt on this fine Saturday morning.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Just a Little English (7)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Seven</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        The weekend came and went quickly, and soon it was once again Monday morning. Reina had her schedule down pretty easily by now. She took night showers, so her mornings were made easier. Brush teeth, wash face, makeup, get dressed, and go. She had gotten pretty quick at her makeup routine, which was what took the longest, so it meant she got to sleep in for much longer. After taking her quick breakfast of toast and being given a to-go cup of coffee now that the house was aware of it being her drink of choice, she headed out to the car and trekked along the familiar path to her school. </p><p> </p><p>        Reina got to class a few minutes early, as was her usual schedule, and said hello to the few others who were already in the classroom. She made her way to her seat, quickly met by Emica who wanted to talk about her weekend. As they dived into conversation about the cute new bag Emica had bought on her endeavor the past two days, Reina had yet to notice the 2-A members of the host club enter the classroom side by side.</p><p> </p><p>        As Tamaki saw her, all the conversations from Friday after she had left and the thoughts he had all weekend flooded back and hit him like a ton of bricks. As he stayed at a standstill, Kyoya rolled his eyes and headed towards the seats Tamaki and Kyoya sat in next to each other. Tamaki trailed after, but didn’t sit. Instead, he approached the two chattering girls and waited for a break in conversation. Reina noticed him standing there, and she felt a twinge in her heart. <em>He’s going to say something,</em> she panicked, <em>he’s going to say something about Friday right here, in front of Emica, with everyone in earshot. I have to divert that. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “Hey Tamaki!” She said quickly, giving him a grin, which Tamaki was taken aback by. “Sorry I didn’t get to help you with your English work on Friday, but my study hall is free today, if you wanted to discuss some things?” She suggested, and he cocked his head in confusion, but gave a single nod. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sure, Reina.. Thank you,” he said, turning on his heel and getting to his desk. As he sat, he leaned across the aisle to Kyoya, and whispered, “Did you hear that? That’s not at all what I wanted to talk about.” Kyoya stared at him, blinking twice as he processed what his friend had just said, then he let out a deep sigh. </p><p> </p><p>        “You know, sometimes I truly wonder how you’ve even gotten this far with that brain of yours,” he responded, turning forward in his seat and looking ahead. It was Tamaki’s turn to stare at the other now.</p><p> </p><p>        “Do you think that was code of some sort?” He asked, with all seriousness in his voice. </p><p> </p><p>        “My first comment still stands.”</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        Mr. Goto concluded their final class hour before study hall, and dismissed them all to go do the work they needed to finish. Times had changed since the first week of school when the students were taking that period as an additional lunch, and most of them were staying in the classroom to work on their studies there. Still, some people would leave to go somewhere else to work on assignments, and today Tamaki and Reina would be two of the students to leave. As Mr. Goto dismissed them, Tamaki had already turned around to help Reina pack up her items. She gave him a soft thanks, and he took her bag in his hand once it was packed up. He led her out of the classroom, and once they were out, he offered his arm to her again. With a smile, she took it. They began to walk, and Tamaki was the first to speak. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t actually have any English assignments I need help with,” he admitted, looking down at her. “And I don’t remember asking for any help on Friday.” This provoked a little laugh from Reina. She searched his tone for any indication that he was joking, but to her surprise, didn’t find any. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, yeah, I kinda figured that’s not what you came up to me to talk about,” she told him, as if it was a bit obvious. “I just didn’t think that what you wanted to say was anything I wanted our class all hearing.” She noticed as they continued to pass libraries, and she looked up at him. “Where are we going?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I thought we could go back to the gazebo we sat in. The weather is nice, no need to waste it inside,” he shot her a smile that could drown a girl. “Is that alright with you, princess?” Reina nodded a little, moving her hand to no longer be grabbing his arm, but instead looping her arm through his as they walked. The walk was familiar, and to be honest, she was glad they weren’t going anywhere where anyone else would be. They shortly made it to their previous resting spot, and he guided her down to sit before reclaiming his own seat next to her. He sat both of their backpacks on the table in front of them, and turned his body to face her. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m sorry,” they both said, together, at the same time. Immediately, Tamaki shook his head. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, my princess, that was my fault. You made a lot of comments that should have led me to believe we were talking about two separate things, but I overlooked them,” he hung his head low, showing shame. Reina smiled, and shrugged her shoulders a little. </p><p> </p><p>        “Couldn’t that be said for both of us, though? I’m sure there were things that you said that I brushed away as well,” she reminded, and he peered up at her through his bangs. “But, could you do me a favor?” His head perked and he looked at her, waiting for Reina to make her request. “Can we just forget about Friday?” He frowned. </p><p> </p><p>        “The whole thing? I would never want to forget or ignore the wonderful afternoon I had with you,” he told her, frown still intact. She shot him a little smile before turning out to look at the scenery again. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I guess not all of it. Just basically all of the part from your club,” she admitted, voice a little quiet. She was afraid to hurt his feelings, so quickly pressed on in order to give him more information. “I didn’t really intend to tell anyone that I was living with a host family. I don’t need any more questions or speculations about my life, and I think that it would only add more fuel to the fire if people were to find out that yet another part of me is unusual.” Tamaki’s frown only pushed further down. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s not unusual, it’s interesting,” he argued, and she shrugged again. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sounds like the same thing to me,” she said, leaning back into the bench and looking around to admire the beautiful stone used to create it. Tamaki watched her for a moment, then his eyes lit up in realization. </p><p> </p><p>        “No,” was all he responded. Reina blinked for a moment, before looking back at him questionly. “No, I’m afraid I cannot fulfill that favor for you, my princess. I don’t want to forget about that, I want to get to know you as much as you’ll allow me,” her eyes widened as he continued to speak. “But! I can offer you a compromise. Me and the members of my host club will not tell your secret, so long as you allow me to remember about it, and allow me to talk to you about it,” he beamed. <em>Genius,</em> he boasted to himself. Reina stared at him for a moment, then giggled a bit. </p><p> </p><p>        “You sure you won’t even take a bribe instead? Anything?” She teased, to which Tamaki crossed his arms, lifted his head high, and shook his head no. Reina gave him a little eye roll and shifted her body to face him, holding her hand out to him in a handshake. “Fine, deal.” Tamaki’s demeanor swiftly changed from that of a pouting toddler to that of a man who just won his biggest poker game. He gave her a large smile, and reached out for her hand. After shaking on it, he sent her a little wink. </p><p> </p><p>        “I knew you wanted me to get to know you,” Tamaki sang, to which Reina scoffed. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t think that’s what I said,” she recalled, reaching for her backpack and began to pull out some assignments she needed to finish up. He eyed her. “I have work to do. What was your plan?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I was going to ask you a bunch of questions until you regret our deal,” he joked, and she rolled her eyes while grabbing a pen. </p><p> </p><p>        “Lucky for you, I can multitask,” she told him, then turned her head over to him, “Lucky for me, I already do regret this deal, so I guess no further questions are needed.” Tamaki rested his chin in both of his large hands, elbows against the table, and his puppy dog eyes commenced. Reina rolled her eyes and swiftly looked away, and with a sigh, softly said, “Ask away.” </p><p> </p><p>        “How often do you see your family?” The question looked like it startled both parties. It came so fast out of Tamaki’s mouth he wasn’t able to catch it in time, but it was one of the main questions circling through his head during the weekend. Reina stared at the math sheet in front of her, not so sure about her statement about being able to multitask anymore. </p><p> </p><p>        “I see them for about a week each year before the next school year starts,” Reina answered, moving onto the next question on her math sheet. Tamaki’s face dropped. “I think maybe my mom has visited me on a spur of the moment once or twice, but it’s mostly just the weeks. Since I started the host program when I was 13, I’ve traveled back home four times.”</p><p> </p><p>        “You’ve only seen your family for four weeks in the last five years?” His voice rang sad. Reina pressed her eyebrows together and gave him a look. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well it sounds sad when you put it that way,” she said, but his sad expression did not subside. “So don’t put it that way,” she joked. Once again, no movement in the state of his mood. “Really, it doesn’t feel that way. Trust me, a week a year is all that I need, thanks. Maybe I can talk someone into cutting my hours this year.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you dislike home?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Does anyone like their home?” She asked, and he scrunched his face up. </p><p> </p><p>        “Most people do,” he shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>        “I mean all the time, do you think everyone likes their homes all the time? It’s kinda like getting home after a vacation. At first it’s relaxing, and you can sleep in your own bed and everything. Then once it feels normal again, you’re ready to go on another vacation,” she explained, which eased Tamaki a little bit. <em>What a good save, </em>she thought. “Besides, my parents are busy. The only part that makes me sad is not really being able to see my siblings grow up. Do you have any siblings, Tamaki?” </p><p> </p><p>        “No, I’m an only child,” he answered. She looked up from her work to look at him. </p><p> </p><p>        “I was an only child for about 8 years, too. So I sort of understand,” she told him. “Did you ever want siblings?”</p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe when I was younger, I can’t really remember,” he admitted. “I think my mom had talked about wanting to have one son and one daughter, so I think when I was younger I kind of expected another sibling would come, but they never did. Luckily for me though, I appreciate the attention of being an only child.” Reina’s eyes grew sad for a moment before she looked down at her paper again. </p><p> </p><p>        “Never would have guessed that.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Is that sarcasm?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her, which caused a little smirk to grow across her lips. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe. Did you get jealous when those boys came up to me at your club on Friday?” She asked, taking a peek at him in just enough time to catch a blush growing across those normally pale cheeks of his. </p><p> </p><p>        “They’re delinquents, and I didn’t want them to ruin your first time at my beloved host club,” he lied, to which Reina simply shot him a “mhm”. “So your siblings, do you talk to them often? Like on the phone or something?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe on Christmas or one of their birthdays some years,” Reina answered, continuing to go through her work. Tamaki studied her for a moment. </p><p> </p><p>        “Why don’t you call more often?” He asked gently, not trying to overstep any boundaries. Reina thought about her answer for a moment, before looking over at him. </p><p> </p><p>        “I thought the deal was that we were gonna talk about my fun, exciting traveling life. Not my boring family life,” she said, nose scrunching up. Tamaki smiled endearingly, watching her being cute in his presence. </p><p> </p><p>        “Is that what you would prefer to talk about?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I’d prefer not to talk about any of it,” she laughed. It was his turn to scrunch his nose. “But I know, we have a deal. So whatever, just ask about what you want to know, I guess. It’s all kind of the same stuff anyway, in a way at least. All of my phone calls with my siblings have to be supervised since they’re a little more sheltered I guess, so it’s a pain to gather one parent to sit in the room with them so I can ask them about their day on speakerphone. And with the time difference and all, it’s hard to find a time that I would even be able to talk to them in the first place. Either I’m in school or they are, or I’m sleeping or they are. Maybe one day it’ll be easier.” Tamaki listened thoroughly, nodding every once in a while in between her words to show he was still interested and listening. He waited a moment to make sure she was finished before he spoke. </p><p> </p><p>        “That makes sense, I can understand it,” he nodded, then thought for a moment. “Where has been your favorite place to live?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Are you able to pick your favorite country between France and Japan?” She questioned, setting aside her now finished math sheet and reaching into her back to find a new piece to work on. Tamaki thought about it for a moment before shaking his head slightly. </p><p> </p><p>        “I guess I really couldn’t. I like different aspects more in each place,” he admitted, as if he was just now realizing it. “I hold a special place in my heart for France, since I spent so much time living there, but I do love both in many ways.” She nodded, point proven. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s the same for me. In some places, I liked the schools better. In some, I liked the friends I had more. I’ve had good living situations and I’ve had not so great ones, but I had a favorite home too,” she explained. She sat up for a moment and glanced up at the sky again for a second, before turning to Tamaki and smiling. “I will admit, I think Japan will be one of my better experiences. But if you’re going to make it to lunch with your friends, you should probably leave soon.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Aren’t you coming?” He asked softly, and she shook her head. </p><p> </p><p>        “No today, I still have a lot of math sheets to catch up on and I’d prefer to have as free of a weekend as I can,” she replied. He smiled at her before unzipping his own backpack and pulling out a stack of papers of his own. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’ll stay with you then, we can work on our assignments together,” Tamaki softly said. Reina looked at him for another moment before softly smiling and nodding her head at him and turning back to her sheet. “I do have one more question, if you don’t mind. Why is it that you seem hesitant to talk to me about your time in France?” Reina stopped scribbling equations for just a moment, once again processing how to answer. Finally, she found enough words to hopefully push the conversation back a little while longer. </p><p> </p><p>        “Had you not lived there, this would be much more simple. It wasn’t all bad by any means, but there were issues, and if I was telling you the stories of strangers then it would be way easier. But if you are correct in your assumption, that you and I may had shared acquaintances, then I don’t want my opinion to taint your opinion on them, and if you still actively talk to them, I would hate if they told you things that would taint your opinion on me,” Reina admitted, but then gave him a small little smile. “One day, if you’re still interested when I’m ready, then I’ll give you my French stories.” Tamaki watched her with wide eyes, her behaviors starting to click a little bit. He reached over and clasped his hand on top of hers. </p><p> </p><p>        “Nothing anyone could say about you could change my view on you,” he reassured her, his thumb softly stroking her hand. “But I understand. When you’re ready, I’m ready to talk as well.” He held her hand for a moment longer before turning towards his stack of pages and dove into them. <em>Maybe I should hold off on trying to reach out to Chance, our former classmate,</em> Tamaki thought, though he had yet to search for any contact information in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>        After a few moments of silence, Tamaki began to make frustrated grunts. Reina glanced over at him, and a little smirk crept up. </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you need help with something?” She asked. His eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded. Reina raised an eyebrow, and continued, “Do you need help with your English work?” Tamaki sat still for a moment, before pushing his bottom lip out, and nodding once more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Blackmail and a Word of Warning (8)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Eight</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        Tamaki and Reina had gotten quite a lot of work out of the way by the end of their lunch, so they both decided to quit while they were ahead and start their way back to the classroom in hopes of getting there early. As they entered the room, they saw a few faces already seated in desks, but the most recognizable was Kyoya’s. The couple headed together towards their seats, and Kyoya gave them both a soft nod. Reina gave him a smile, but as she walked past, couldn’t help but glance down at the black notebook Kyoya always held. <em>How was it that he knew I was in a host family program? I thought all of that information was classified,</em> she thought, but quickly moved her eyes away as she sat in her seat. <em>What else does he know about me?</em></p><p> </p><p>        “I assume you two got a lot of English work out of the way?” Kyoya said softly, looking between the pair. He was using the same excuse that Reina had used in the morning, speaking in code, but Tamaki still hadn’t quite caught on. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, she helped me with a lot of it, actually. We also talked about what happened on Friday, and the secret is to remain with us!” He declared, causing the few heads in the room to turn his way. Reina’s head dropped in her hands and she closed her eyes tight. <em>He’s so nice, but man, I’m sure starting to realize I may have made a mistake in who I placed my trust in. </em>Kyoya looked to Reina and let out an exasperated sigh at Tamaki. Leaning back towards Reina, Kyoya locked eyes with her. </p><p> </p><p>        “He may be stupid, but we’ll keep your secret. We hold many,” Kyoya whispered to her, and Reina looked up. She leaned in even closer to him. </p><p> </p><p>        “Many people’s secrets, or many of mine?” She whispered even quieter, voice completely serious. Kyoya let a smirk crawl on his lips, settled back into his seat, and pushed his glasses further up onto his nose. </p><p> </p><p>        “You would be correct in assuming both,” he nodded before turning away. Reina’s mouth dropped a little, but she shook it away and just hoped he was joking. Tamaki, not quite understanding what he just saw, decided to change the subject. </p><p> </p><p>        “Hey, Reina, did I mention to you the dance that the host club was putting on?” He asked, once again gleaming with pride over the host club’s accomplishments. Reina simply shook her head, turning her attention away from Kyoya to Tamaki. “We’re putting it on this Saturday to treat our guests!” </p><p> </p><p>        “And to fundraise,” Kyoya interjected - subtly, of course. </p><p> </p><p>        “So it’ll just be the hosts and a bunch of girls?” Reina asked, and Tamaki nodded with a large grin. “Well that should be fun.” </p><p> </p><p>        “So you’ll come?” Tamaki asked, his grin spreading even wider. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, no,” Reina admitted, Tamaki’s grin vanishing on sight. “I mean for starters, I’m not technically a guest. My only time coming to your club was a little catastrophic, and besides, with the way those girls seem to stare at you in school I’m sure I would have to fight just to say hello to you. So it makes more sense to just help you with your English work to spend time with you, right?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Those are all amazing points,” Kyoya added, still remaining in his seated forward position, but he turned to look at Reina for a moment. “But it is a social gathering after all, and with social gatherings comes social conversation. It would be a shame if Tamaki was so distraught in your absence that he might let something slip, right? Showing up might be a good way to avoid that.” </p><p> </p><p>        “She doesn’t actually think I wouldn’t say hi to her, right, Kyoya?” Tamaki whimpered, clearly not listening to the conversation between the other two. Reina stared at Kyoya for a long moment. </p><p> </p><p>        “Is this like a weird form of blackmail?” She asked, eyebrows furrowed together. Kyoya tilted his head in a half shrug, smirking slightly. Reina rolled her eyes and pulled her wallet out of her bag. “Whatever, how much?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Our member fee is 100,000 yen, so we can cut you a deal and include the entrance to the dance as well for that payment. That should be sufficient,” Kyoya explained, Reina rolling her eyes even harder as she started to pull the money out. “That won’t be necessary right now, I only take payments during club hours.” Reina let out a groan and turned to the depressed looking blonde haired boy in front of her. </p><p> </p><p>        “Tamaki, can I give you the money and can you just give it to him this afternoon?” She pleaded, but Kyoya shook his head. </p><p> </p><p>        “I also only take payments from the guests themselves,” he explained, and Reina’s head hit her desk in frustration. “It looks like we’ll see you this afternoon,” Kyoya concluded with a smile. Reina sat herself up and began to rub her temples, soon interrupted by a sniffle coming from in front of her. She looked up to see Tamaki, now smiling, and tears flying down his cheeks presumably out of joy. </p><p> </p><p>        “So you’re gonna come to the dance?” He grinned, and Reina gave him a little nod. “You’ll be my favorite guest of the evening, so long as you don’t tell any of the other girls,” he winked, then turned back around as class had finally begun. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        Reina entered her theatre class and was promptly told that the script that they had picked yesterday was going to be perfect for their class, and that they were essentially having a free day so that the students could go through the scripts on their own to read and pick out potential parts. Reina picked up her copy and immediately began to skim through. The seat next to her filled, but she didn’t notice at first. </p><p> </p><p>        “So what was that?” A voice asked, and Reina looked up to see Hiroto looking down at her. </p><p> </p><p>        “What was what?” </p><p> </p><p>        “What happened on Friday, with Suoh. Are you two dating? You’ve been here for almost a month, there’s no way you haven’t seen the whole school,” he accused, sitting back in the chair, completely disregarding the script in front of him. “Did he just do that to get you out of class or something?” </p><p> </p><p>        “If you must know, I really had never seen the outside of the school,” she said, turning her attention back to the script and holding back an eyeroll. “And no, we’re not dating.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Thinking back, that was kind of a stupid question,” Hiroto sneered. Reina glanced in his direction for a moment, but asked no questions to provoke him further. Though, that didn’t help any. “Of course you and Suoh aren’t dating.”</p><p> </p><p>        “Of course we’re not,” she agreed, trying to end the conversation there. </p><p> </p><p>        “All he does is flirt with every girl he lays his eyes on, but never dates them, so I’m sure this is no different,” he said, eyes locked on Reina. <em>He’s looking for a reaction out of me,</em> Reina realized. She looked over at him, and gave him a smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, now that that’s settled, are there any characters in the script you’re particularly hoping for?” She asked, beaming. <em>He’s not going to get a reaction out of me.</em> He sent her a glare, then picked up his own script and started to look for the first time that day. </p><p> </p><p>        “Not really, no. Wherever I’m casted is fine with me,” he said, then turned his attention back to her. “I just find it funny that you’ll go on a little tour date with the pervy Suoh kid but won’t let me take you out on a date.” Reina shrugged and sat back in her chair, eyes still locked on the script. </p><p> </p><p>        “It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I never went on a tour date in the first place,” she retorted, which got a scoff cast in her direction. Reina sighed and looked over at him. “Listen Hiroto, there’s no reason to get so upset. I’m not looking to date anyone right now.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m not saying we have to date, I just wanted to go on <em>a</em> date is all. Which is exactly what Suoh did, he took you on a date. Just like he does with all the little fangirls in that club of his. He spends an afternoon with them, makes them feel special, and moves onto the next girl in line for her turn,” his eyes were soft now, resting his chin on his hand, elbow pressed on the table. “I really am just looking out for you. If you’re looking to get anywhere with him, it’s not going to work. I know you’re new here so I know that you probably don’t know too much about him and his ways yet, but I don’t trust that host club,” he admitted. Reina looked for any signs of lie in his words, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “Honestly,” he swore, lifting his free hand up, as if in pledge. “You don’t want to date me anyway, so I have no reason to lie.” Reina kept her eyes on him, before darting them back to her script. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’ll think about the date,” she said softly, flipping the page, though at this point she wasn’t reading anymore. <em>Everything he said kinda makes sense, </em>she admitted, <em>Tamaki does seem smooth, and I’m sure I’m not the first or last to experience that. </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        Reina got home immediately after school and headed to her room to change. <em>I don’t really have a desire to go to the club, at least not while they’re doing their jobs. Maybe I’ll go towards the tail end, pay Kyoya, then get the hell out of there, </em>she decided as she pushed through her closet to find something more comfortable to wear. After a day of the constricting dress and stockings, jeans were the last thing she wanted to climb into. And since Ouran was established, she knew pajamas and sweatpants were out of the question. Finally settling, she found a white floral sundress and decided that, though still a dress, it was much more loose and congenial. After undressing, she pulled the dress over her head and pulled it on, then turned to look at herself in the mirror once more. <em>It’s been a while since I wore anything other than the uniform or casual clothes. Maybe I should start dressing up around the house more often. Or, maybe I should go on that date with Hiroto, </em>Reina admitted with a sigh, pressing the wrinkles out of the dress with her hand. <em>I should get out more, probably. I’ve gotten used to everything enough, now the longer I choose to remain inside this room is the longer I’m going to get stuck in it. I’ve been through enough of that.</em></p><p> </p><p>        She walked over to her charging laptop on the vanity and took a seat, quickly opening it. She skimmed through some things before seeing another email. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To: Reina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From: Connor Duffy </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subject: Trip update</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hey sweet girl. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Let’s plan on me coming out in the middle of May, so in about two weeks. I found a good flight, so I would be arriving on May 15th, which is a Thursday. I figure with your birthday being that Saturday, it’ll be a perfect little birthday trip. I don’t expect you to take off from school on that Friday, I’ll probably be tired from the flight and will need to rest most of that day. I booked the hotel for that night near your school, but haven’t yet for any other days so that we can decide where we want to travel to. Since we only have a weekend, we’ll just have to pick one place to go. If you have any ideas, let me know. I know of some great places, but I’ve already been, and would love to let you pick a spot. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Keep me updated. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>        Great,</em> Reina sighed, <em>I forgot about researching sightseeing spots. </em>She decided it would be best to worry about that response once she was back from her adventure back to the school. When Reina looked at the time, she figured it would be the best time to head back. She slipped on a pair of socks and one of her two pairs of non-school shoes, just a pair of sneakers. She pulled out her phone to call the driver for the day so that they would be prepared, which worked. As soon as she exited the door, the car was pulled around for her. She climbed in and gave a smile to the driver. </p><p> </p><p>        “No backpack?” He asked, ensuring he wouldn’t need to turn around again. Reina shook her head and waved her wallet a little. </p><p> </p><p>        “I just have to pay a debt quickly,” she informed the driver with a smile, to which she received a nod back. He began to drive towards the school. </p><p> </p><p>        “Should I wait out front then?” He asked, and Reina thought about it for a moment. </p><p> </p><p>        “It might be best,” she concluded. “I’ll take a maximum of twenty minues.” The driver shook his head quickly, and glanced back at her through the rearview mirror. </p><p> </p><p>        “You take your time, don’t worry about me,” the driver smiled as he pulled into the school gates. “I can’t stay here for that long anyway, parking rules and all, so I’ll be in the parking garage. Just call me when you’re ready, the longer you take just means I get a longer break,” the driver teased. Reina laughed a little and pushed the door open. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I’ll walk extra slow then,” she laughed as she climbed out, closed the door and gave him a little wave before walking away from the car and towards the school doors. While walking towards the music room 3, she thought about what was going to happen when she walked in. <em>That was definitely a weird way to introduce myself to all those people,</em> Reina thought. <em>I’m sure I looked like a real idiot. I’ll need to get in and out as quick as possible… If possible.</em> She stood in front of the doors for a long moment before finally gaining the strength to reach out and grab the doorknob. Twisting it, she pulled the door open and revealed herself, though she was glad to see that everyone was too preoccupied to really notice her. </p><p> </p><p>        There were still quite a few guests strung out amongst the hosts, including Kyoya. Reina bit her lip and contemplated leaving again until Kyoya would be free to take her money, but after recognizing how long she had been in the doorway, realized that would be even weirder and instead just slipped inside. Without eavesdropping, there were a few things she noticed from the get go. First of all, out of all the hosts, Tamaki had the most number of girls surrounding him. Unbeknownst to Reina, that was due to his absence on the Friday he had spent with her. Since she wasn’t aware of this, Hiroto’s words rang through her mind quickly before brushing the thought away. The twins had two girls on either side of them, though when Reina glanced at them, she saw the loving brothers caressing each other’s faces while the girls simply watched in awe. <em>I’m not entirely sure how that draws in an audience, but, c’est la vie, </em>she shrugged to herself. Doing a quick count, she noticed one of the hosts seemed to be missing. Upon further inspection, however, she noticed Haruhi on the other side of the room, dancing with a female. Reina walked in and took a seat in one of the empty tables, the one she had last seen Kyoya in, hoping that no more attention would be drawn her way. Two girls walked past her seemingly without noticing her on their way out, which gave Reina hope that the boy’s duties would soon be done. </p><p> </p><p>        “Hey, Reina,” a high voice sang, and her head jumped up to see a short, blonde boy standing next to her. She had been a little zoned out and didn’t notice him at first, but gave him a smile when she was brought to his attention. “Do you want to share a piece of cake while you wait for Tamaki? I have a piece left, and I don’t need the whole thing!” He grinned, pulling a large plate with a ‘slice’ of cake on it, though the slice could easily have been three. Reina gave him a little shake of her head. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, thank you,” she declined, “I’m actually not waiting for Tamaki. I’m here to pay a debt to the club. Any chance that you’re able to take the payment from me?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Nope!” He beamed, taking the place across from her as he sat the plate in the middle of them. <em>Of course not, </em>she sighed internally. “But I’ll keep you company until he’s able to!” He assured, taking one of the two forks and scooping up a large piece of cake. “By the way, Reina-chan, Tamaki told me everything,” He said, then quickly did a little motion, as if zipping his lips. “Your secret is safe!” </p><p> </p><p>        “I appreciate that, thank you,” she softly said, shooting him a smile before looking around for a second. “So, you’re a host here… Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” Reina admitted sheepishly, turning back towards Honey who looked like he had seen a ghost in those words. </p><p> </p><p>        “How rude of me! I’m your new friend, you can call me Honey!” He exclaimed, dropping his fork to reach across the table for a handshake. Reina complied, with a smile, then turned back around. She looked over at Tamaki. He didn’t seem to be fully paying attention to his guests, though it didn’t look like he had noticed her presence yet either. </p><p> </p><p>        “Honey, it seems like Tamaki is a little distracted. I know that you guys are setting up for the dance,” she said, as two more guests strolled past their table towards the door. “Is he stressed about that?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, no, I don’t think so,” Honey said, pressing the prongs to the fork against his bottom lip in thought. “We already planned it months ago, and we’re not really doing any of the setting up or anything, so I don’t think he would be worried about that,” he finished with a nod, as if satisfied with his answer. Reina felt two bodies press up against her shoulders, the twins now bending at the waist to join the conversation since they were guest-less. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s not directly about the dance,” Kaoru explained, looking over to Hikaru. </p><p> </p><p>        “But it does have something to do with it,” Hikaru ended, breaking eye contact with his twin to look at Reina. She looked back at him, and nodded, motioning for him to continue. “The boss said that Haruhi needed to learn to dance before our event, so Kanako offered to teach Haruhi,” Hikaru explained, looking up at the pair at the far end of the room. Haruhi definitely looked like she had two left feet, but the girl was being so patient with her. </p><p> </p><p>        “That sounds like a problem solved to me,” Reina mused, before looking back at Tamaki. He was, in fact, taking glances over at the dancing pair. “Are him and Kanako a thing?” She asked, and the twins each held in a snicker. Honey, at the point, was even smiling a little as well. </p><p> </p><p>        “Tama-Chan is a little upset because he wanted to be the one to teach Haruhi to dance,” Honey informed her, to which Reina raised an eyebrow at. </p><p> </p><p>        “So Tamaki’s upset because he can’t dance with Haruhi?” She asked, to which the three boys nodded. She furrowed her eyebrows a little, clearly still confused. <em>So then, maybe… this does make a little sense? Maybe that’s why he’s so nice, and why he wants to hang around girls all the time? </em>“Well, that seems to make a few things clearer, I guess. So I’d be right to assume that Tamaki has a thing for Haruhi?” </p><p> </p><p>        “He sure seems to act like it sometimes,” Hikaru said, eyes still locked on the waltzing pair. Kaoru took note of the aggression in this brother’s tone, but decided it would be a conversation for a different day. It didn’t seem to cross the three boy’s minds the picture they were painting of Tamaki. Two more guests passed by the four circled around the table, and in an instant, Kyoya strolled over and smiled at Reina. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well welcome, sorry for the wait. If you’ll follow me to the side room, I can set up your membership for you,” Kyoya said directly to Reina, though she responded the least of the group. Honey’s eyes widened as far as they could, and a big smile spread across his face. The twins furrowed their eyebrows and looked over at each other, now stood up straight with a hand on opposite hips. </p><p> </p><p>        “Reina-Chan, I didn’t know you were becoming a member of the host club! You can be my guest any day you want, ‘kay?” He gleamed, Mori now joining the group and standing behind Honey’s chair. Mori and Reina made eye contact for a moment before Mori gave her a small little smile and a nod. </p><p> </p><p>        “Mine as well,” was all he said. The twins still didn’t seem convinced. </p><p> </p><p>        “No offense,” Hikaru said. </p><p> </p><p>        “But you don’t really seem like the type that would want to hang around here,” Kaoru admitted. Reina looked between then and rolled her eyes in the slightest. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, no offense, but you’re correct,” she retorted before standing to follow Kyoya. “Kyoya and I had a - chat, and now it appears that I’ll need to pay to keep my secret.” The twins exchanged glances before glaring over at Kyoya, who stood with his eyes closed in an innocent smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “He sure has a way with words,” they sarcastically responded together, now clicking the pieces together. </p><p> </p><p>        “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way, but if that’s the narrative then we’ll run with it,” Kyoya shrugged, before motioning towards the room he had previously been referring to. Reina followed, crossing her arms as she strode behind him and entered the small little office. He motioned for her to sit in the seat closest to the door, so she did, and he moved to sit across from her. She watched as he pulled out a few papers and began to silently fill them out. She reached into her wallet and began to pull out the money. Once she had gathered it all, and the room still stayed silent, Reina decided to speak.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Giving Hiroto a Chance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Nine</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        “Can we be honest with each other now, with nobody else around?” she asked, to which he nodded while still writing. “Don’t you find it fair to ensure the safety of not spreading my information, without the need for me attending this party, now that I’m paying? You can double your membership price, if that’s the issue.” </p><p> </p><p>        “If you must know, the money is not an issue, just an added bonus,” Kyoya explained, then glanced up from his writing to look at Reina, peering over his glasses. “Like I said, I’m not forcing you to attend by any means, but being around Tamaki may lessen the chances of him slipping up.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I think I might disagree with that. Clearly you know him better than I do,” she added, to which he looked back down at the paper and shot a little ‘mhm’ her way. “But I think he’s going to be busy entertaining, and I feel right to assume that I would be the very last thing on his mind, especially if I’m absent.” </p><p> </p><p>        “You’re correct, I do know him better than you,” Kyoya nodded, pushing the form in her direction, then handing a pen over to receive her signature at the bottom of the page. “And as someone who knows him more, I’m once again advising you to show up. I don’t think you need to be there long, so if you have business to attend back at the Higurashi’s that night, you’re not required to stay the whole time,” he smiled, and she stopped in her tracks. <em>I definitely never told anyone who I was staying with.</em></p><p> </p><p>        “Kyoya, what else do you know about me?” She cautiously asked, refusing to take the pen. He set it down in front of her before sitting back in his seat. </p><p> </p><p>        “Can we be honest with each other now, with nobody else around?” He repeated her former words, though she did not respond, just kept her eyes locked on him. “Information is easy to obtain, so I collect it in abundance. One thing that is hard to come by, is people who are willing to stay by your side. Outside of this room, there’s an abundance of them awaiting. They’re not a group I would recommend leaving behind,” he responded coolly, before nodding back down towards the spot to sign her name. Reina processed the words a little longer, before hesitantly picking up the pen and signing. He shot her a smile, slid her a ticket for the dance, then stood. “Don’t worry yourself about what I do and don’t know, we’re on your side with that signature. We expect to see you on Saturday. That is, unless you want to stop in sometime before then to make use of your membership. We’ll be waiting.”</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        “So, anything new with the boys?” Sora asked, just as their tea and coffee arrived at the table. Reina laughed a little bit and shook her head as she recalled the day she had just experienced. She thought about just how much to reveal, and decided to keep her conversation with Kyoya out of it. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, Hiroto mentioned wanting to take me out on a date again, and I told him I would think about it. He also tried to warn me about Tamaki, and told me that maybe I shouldn’t trust him since he talks to a lot of girls,” Reina almost laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. “But then I went to Tamaki’s club after school, and some of his friends let me in on some information, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think he’s gay.” A gasp came from the other side of the table. </p><p> </p><p>        “How scandalous! How did you come to that conclusion?” Sora asked, both hands holding her cheeks in anticipation. Reina giggled a little bit at the sight, and began to scoop a little bit of sugar into her coffee. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, his friends showed me that one of Tamaki’s friends was being taught to dance by a girl, and Tamaki was jealous. I assumed he must have liked the girl, but instead they told me that Tamaki had wanted to be the one to teach his guy friend, Haruhi, to dance,” Reina explained, Sora nodding the whole time. “So even if he was hypothetically bisexual, and liked both genders, now I know he already has his eyes on someone else. Which is fine, really, because I don’t need to date anyone. I can take being his friend just fine. In fact, it kind of makes things easier. The things that Hiroto was saying kinda made me think, but if he’s gay, it makes so much sense!” </p><p> </p><p>        “What about it makes sense?” Sora questioned, and Reina shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>        “Tamaki has a host club, which basically is a group of guys entertaining a bunch of girls. I kinda thought it was an odd concept for a club, but I didn’t pay it much attention. But if he was gay, wouldn’t it make sense to want to hang around a bunch of girls?” Reina asked, to which Sora seemed conflicted, tilting her head back and forth as she thought. “And it would also explain why he would be so nice to me and want to hang around me without trying to take it further, right? I mean, I didn’t really get homosexual vibes from him in the beginning, or when I’m around him, but it all seems to click.”</p><p> </p><p>        “I suppose only time will tell then, right?” Sora concluded, before a grin spread across her lips. “Unless, you were to ask him outright.” Reina’s cheeks blushed up. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, I could never! What if his friends weren’t supposed to tell me that, like what if he’s closeted and didn’t want anyone to know? I wouldn’t want to stress him out like that,” Reina decided, shaking her head at the thought of causing him any more trouble. “If it was something he wanted me to know, I’m sure he would have told me. Or, he will tell me if he wants me to know. But for now, all I know is that I probably should cast away the thought of him liking me altogether.” </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s fair, though a little less fun,” Sora teased. “And what about the date with Hiroto, then? Are you planning to change your mind on that, and go with him, since it looks like he’s your top suitor now?” She asked, and Reina stopped in the middle of sipping her coffee. After a moment, she set her glass back down and stared into it, furrowing her eyebrows together in thought. </p><p> </p><p>        “I guess I didn’t think about it that way, but I did tell him I would think about it,” Reina pondered out loud. “Could this have been a sign, telling me that I should go on the date?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Nothing is impossible,” Sora shrugged, taking a sip of her own drink. “It very well could have been a sign. Even if it wasn’t, you should still go have some fun. Worst case scenario, the date goes awfully and you never have to go on another one with him.” Reina nodded a little, processing the advice as well as her own thoughts, then she smiled and looked up at Sora. </p><p> </p><p>        “You know, you’re right. I think I’ll give him a chance.” </p><p> </p><p>        After their nightly drinks, the two once again parted off to separate rooms. Reina headed back to her laptop to respond to Connor’s newest email. She stared at it for a moment, before typing a response. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To: Connor Duffy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From: Reina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subject: Re: Trip update</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I can ask around to some of my friends and classmates and see if they have any suggestions. If I don’t find anything by the end of the week, I can leave the choosing up to you. I trust your opinions. :) I’ll update you by Sunday at the latest. I think my weekend just got a little booked, but hopefully that means I’ll get a lot of suggestions from everyone I need to meet with. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Solidifying her response, she hit send and closed her laptop back up. <em>What a weird day, I’m calling it a night.</em></p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        To Reina’s surprise, Hiroto actually seemed elated by her change of mind, and scheduled their date as soon as he could. It was now Friday, which meant that she would be preparing for her date tonight once she got home. Earlier in the week, Reina had asked Emica if she would be attending the host club dance, and once realizing they both were going, invited her to go dress shopping on Saturday morning. Though, she knew come Sunday, she would be regretting all the social interaction she would be having during her normally relaxing weekend. </p><p> </p><p>        2-A’s study hall was just about to begin when Tamaki turned around with a sheepish smile. Reina glanced up at him, and as if reading his mind, began to pack up her items. </p><p> </p><p>        “English again?” She teased, and he pulled at his tie a little bit to loosen it. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s not a lot, but it’s getting harder. English is one hell of a language, that’s for sure,” Tamaki groaned, to which Reina laughed and nodded sympathetically. </p><p> </p><p>        “Poor baby,” she mocked, scooping up her bag and standing. He scrunched up his nose at her joke, before quickly stood up as well and took the bag out of her hand, leading her towards the door. As they walked through the halls, he beamed down at her. </p><p> </p><p>        “Are you getting excited for the dance, my princess?” He asked, holding his arm out for her to link to, which she did easily. </p><p> </p><p>        “As excited as I’ll ever be,” she sang, forcing a smile for him. <em>As much as I don’t want to go, it’s the least I could do, with him kind he’s been towards me, </em>she thought, then grimaced a bit. <em>Well, that and Kyoya’s threatening aura.</em> “Hey, by the way, what time does that start at?” </p><p> </p><p>        “For guests, we’re open at 6:30, but for you,” he grinned down at her, “I’d be willing to let you join me earlier if you care to. I’ll be there around 5:30.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I think I should arrive with the rest of the guests, but thank you,” she smiled. “I think I’m riding with Emica that day, and if you invite me, then you’re inviting her, and whoever else she is taking with us.” It was only a small lie. She would be riding with Emica that day, just not necessarily to the dance. Tamaki nodded understandingly, and tightened their arms a little closer together. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sure, princess, I understand. But if you change your mind, I would be more than willing to pick you up myself,” Tamaki offered as they headed towards their normal gazebo. Reina simply smiled and nodded, knowing that she would not need to take him up on that offer fortunately. He led her to her seat, then joined her and began to pull out his work. </p><p> </p><p>        “Hey, actually, I have a quick question,” Reina interrupted, and Tamaki quickly stopped what he was doing to point all his attention her way. “Where are some of your favorite places to sightsee in Japan?” He gleamed, and somehow, Tour-Guide-Tamaki from a week ago sprang back out in a moment. </p><p> </p><p>        “Our beautiful country holds many amazing cities! If you’re looking for something beachy, I might recommend Yakushima Island. If you want something city-like, I’m keen on Nagoya. If you’re looking for something more cultural, I would say you should see the temples and shrines of Kyoto,” Tamaki beamed, eyes shining with passion presumably for the country. “But I guess that all depends, princess, where have you already been?” Tamaki asked as he once again started to pull out his work. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well as of this moment, I’ve been to my host house, and to Ouran Elite,” Reina grinned, lifting a finger for each ‘destination’ she had been to. Tamaki stopped in his tracks once more and looked over at her, his eyes now sad. “But I tend to change that very, very soon.” </p><p> </p><p>        “You mean, you haven’t even been around Tokyo yet?” He asked, eyes glossing over. Reina shook her head. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, not yet but ton--” </p><p> </p><p>        “Let me show you around Tokyo tonight,” Tamaki swiftly interjected, cutting himself out of some crucial information. Reina blinked, then bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows together. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, what I was about to say, was I’m going into town for the first time tonight,” her voice was soft, as if calculating her words. Finally, she decided to finish the phrase. “I have a date tonight.” For a moment, Reina thought she could actually hear Tamaki’s breath hitch in his throat. He sat still for a moment, eyes unreadable, before he turned back to his folder and pulled out the desired worksheets he had attempted to pull out now three times. Reina watched him for a quick moment more. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out another night. I can’t see the whole town in one day, you know,” she reminded. </p><p> </p><p>        “So who’s the lucky guy then?” Tamaki was able to spit out, somehow able to disguise his voice enough to not fully show his hurt. </p><p> </p><p>        “His name is Hiroto Kiyama, he’s in my theatre class. He sorta asked me out a few weeks ago, and I declined, but my host mom talked me into giving him a chance,” Reina responded coolly, reaching over his shoulder to point to answer A on his worksheet, thinking he was stuck on that problem, but he wasn’t even really looking at the work in front of him. </p><p> </p><p>        “So you didn’t want to go? Why did you decide to?” He questioned, a little bit of hope regaining in him. Once realizing what she was doing, he quickly circled A in order to remain looking calm. Reina shrugged a little bit, resting her chin straight on the table so she could easily see the worksheet. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’ve been home every weekend since I got here, I can’t really say I have any other plans,” she said. “Maybe that makes me sound like a bad person, I’m not sure. But it’s the honest answer. Besides,” she laughed, “If someone is showing interest in me, I can’t really knock that aside. It doesn’t happen that often.” He stopped staring beyond the paper to look down at her. </p><p> </p><p>        “I just offered you other plans,” he reminded her, and she smirked up at him. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m already giving you my Saturday, Tamaki. Remember?” She asked, smiling at him for a second before looking back at the paper and pointing to answer C for the next question. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate you offering, but you’ve got to be busy with the dance and all tomorrow. We can plan for another time to hang out.” <em>She said hang out, but not date. So she must not see me in that way? </em>Tamaki thought sadly. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, all the places I gave you earlier aren’t really close enough for a little date, anyway, so you should just stick to Tokyo,” Tamaki said, circling answer C next. </p><p> </p><p>        “Oh, that question wasn’t related to the date,” she said quickly. “I have a guest coming in for my birthday, so I was trying to search for a place to take a weekend trip.” Tamaki smiled down on her. </p><p> </p><p>        “When’s your birthday?” He asked innocently, and she pointed to answer C once more for the next problem. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m sure Kyoya could tell you. He seems to know enough,” Reina teased, but when Tamaki continued to wait for a response, she sighed. “May 17th.” Tamaki’s eyes widened and he set his pen down, turning to her. </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s so soon, my princess! Please, let me take you out for that at least. I’m not opposed to taking a little weekend trip as well, and maybe some of the host club would be willing to join to help entertain your little girlfriend coming in for your birthday!” Tamaki grinned, already planning the ideal trip in his head. Reina bit her lip again and kept her eyes on the worksheet. <em>He said “your little girlfriend”, so he’s under the impression that I have a friend coming out here. And that it’s a girl. I already just rejected him and told him about my date, so maybe now isn’t the best time to explain that whole situation. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “My guest won’t be out here for a long time, and we’ll have a lot of catching up to do, so maybe that isn’t the best timing,” Reina cautiously said, already feeling the energy slipping from Tamaki as more words came out of her mouth. “But we could do something the weekend before? Or perhaps after?” She suggested, peering up at him to see a sad smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah,” he said, voice soft, “We can do that, princess. What time is your date tonight?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I think I’m getting picked up at about 6:30 or so, but I’m not sure, I figured I would ask him in class. It’s going to be the first time that I won’t be taken somewhere by a driver in quite a while, so that’s interesting to say the least.” </p><p> </p><p>        “He’s driving you two himself?” Tamaki scowled, and Reina simply nodded. He set the pen down and held his hand out. “Give me your phone, please.” Reina scrunched her nose up, but did as she was told. He opened her phone, went straight to contacts, and added his own number in. He called his own number for a moment, to ensure that he also had her number, then handed it back, but kept their hands clasped together with the phone sandwiched in the middle. “I don’t know this guy, so I can’t speak on whether or not he’s a good guy. If you need to leave, or if you need help, text me or call me immediately and I’ll come,” his voice was tender, looking straight at her, and she nodded. “I’d like if you texted me when you were home safe, too, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to be up all night worried about you.” Reina smiled, and gave him a nod and a quick hand squeeze. </p><p> </p><p>        “Thank you, Tamaki,” she smiled, then looked down at her phone and saw the photoless contact picture. “You can’t just leave it like that, you have to let me take a picture of you,” she grinned, pulling up the camera app, but he simply covered the lens with his hand and shook his head softly. </p><p> </p><p>        “We can take a picture on Saturday, when we’re both dolled up,” he winked, then turned back to the worksheet in front of him. “Which answer did you point to, again?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Keeping an Eye Out (10)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Ten</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        “Kyoya?” Tamaki asked softly, sitting on his hosting couch, hugging his knees to his chest. The guests had yet to arrive yet, so he had a little while longer to sulk. Kyoya had noticed his low energy since coming back from lunch, but knew he would have to hear about it during club hours, so decided against mentioning it in class. He looked towards Tamaki, holding his notebook under his arm. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yes, Tamaki?” </p><p> </p><p>        “What do you know about the third year Hiroto Kiyama?” Kyoya raised an eyebrow at him, then shrugged softly. </p><p> </p><p>        “He’s a third year, and in 3-B. I haven’t ever needed to research him in depth, he seems fairly normal. Decent grades, he’s in the theatre class and has been for all of his time here at Ouran, though he doesn’t seem to excel too much in that,” Kyoya recalled, then turned to Honey and Mori, who had just entered the room. “You might have better luck asking them, considering that he’s in their grade.” Tamaki turned his attention to the two elder boys of the room, staying in his pouting position. Mori and Honey both exchanged glances, then shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>        “Like Kyo-Chan said, he seems pretty standard. He’s not in our class, so we don’t get to talk to him too much,” Honey admitted, to which Mori nodded in agreement. “I know he’s talked to a few girls in our year, and I think he’s also talked to a few girls in your year, but that’s all I really have, Tama-Chan.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Aha!” Tamaki exclaimed, as if he just found a fatal flaw in Hiroto. “So he talks to a lot of girls, then? Not exactly the most ideal dating material,” he said, now on his feet with one hand pointed to the sky. “I knew I had a bad feeling about him!” </p><p> </p><p>        “Uh, boss,” Hikaru interrupted. </p><p> </p><p>        “You know that you have an entire club dedicated to talking to girls, right? You don’t really have a lot of room to talk,” Kaoru yawned, an eye roll coming shortly after. Tamaki grimaced and turned his hand to point to the twins now. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s different, and you both know it!” He yelled, face turning pink. Possibly from anger, and possibly from realization that their statement was true. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, it’s really not,” Kaoru shrugged, plopping into his seat. Hikaru crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the fiery blonde. </p><p> </p><p>        “What are you even rambling about, anyway? About not being dating material?” Hikaru asked, and all heads in the room turned to Tamaki, who had once again recoiled into his knee hugging position on the couch. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well… Reina has a date with him tonight,” Tamaki softly admitted, and the room went quiet. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m sorry, maybe I’m misunderstanding,” Haruhi started quietly, Tamaki turning his head towards her. “But shouldn’t that be a good thing? That means she’s making friends on her own, and creating a life here. Shouldn’t you be happy about that, Tamaki, especially with how worried we all were last week?” Tamaki stared down at his hands, his bottom lip pouting out. Hikaru rolled his eyes and plopped down next to Kaoru, laying his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>        “Haruhi’s right, the boss is just trying to be greedy and keep everyone to himself, as per usual,” Hikaru roughly spit out, all eyes going on him, aside from Tamaki’s, who remained staring at his hands. Kaoru frowned a little at the way Hikaru was reacting, but didn’t say anything. He knew, this was a deeper issue, probably to be uncovered later. <em>For now, I should just let him speak his mind. It’s not like anything he’s saying is untrue, anyway. </em>“That girl came in earlier this week and you didn’t even notice, Tamaki, you were too preoccupied.” Tamaki looked up, eyes going wide for a second, directed at Hikaru. </p><p> </p><p>        “Is that true, did she actually come in?” Tamaki asked, and Hikaru scoffed loudly, point proven. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, Tama-Chan, but don’t feel bad. I spent some time with her, so did the twins, and so did Kyo-Chan! So don’t worry about it, ‘kay?” Honey smiled, but Tamaki stayed watching Hikaru for a moment longer before dropping his head into his knees and letting out a loud groan. Honey frowned, and leaned into Mori. “That didn’t work,” he sighed softly. Haruhi glanced around for a second, then gave an uncomfortable smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “See, Senpai? Reina was fine, and I’m sure you were busy. Nobody here is blaming you,” she said, shooting a quick to Hikaru, who rolled his eyes and turned his head in the opposite direction. “And I’m sure her date will go fine!” Another groan came from Tamaki, and Haruhi quickly adjusted, “And by fine, I mean she’ll realize what she actually wants. Him or not, you know? So don’t worry about it. The guests are gonna be here soon, and if we’re all in a sour mood, we might not have anyone at the dance with us tomorrow,” she gently reminded the group. Everyone seemed to understand, tension beginning to release as the conversation was at an understandable end. Tamaki pushed his legs back to the ground, cast a glance back at Kyoya before looking forward out the window. <em>I don’t know what Hikaru meant about being greedy. Maybe I should ask him about that at some point, </em>Tamaki thought. <em>Would it be bad if I asked Kyoya to send one of his force members out to watch the date? If Reina found out, she probably wouldn’t trust me after that. No, I’ll just wait until she texts me tonight, I won’t ask him to do that. </em></p><p> </p><p>        Behind him, Kyoya had already located Hiroto’s license plate number, and was sending one of his police force members out to keep an eye out on the date. <em>After all, I did tell her that we were on her side. One way or another, we are,</em> Kyoya thought with a smug little smirk. <em>Even if she’s making it a pain in the ass for me. A challenge it is. </em></p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>        Sitting at her vanity, she was just about finished with her makeup for the night. Lying across the bed with a midthigh length black dress, and on the floor next to the bed was a pair of strappy black wedges. Sora had taken her shopping shortly after she returned home from school in preparation for her date, trying to push her towards the more colorful options, but Reina had settled on something more plain instead. Sora pouted a little in the moment, but behind the scenes, had bought some of her favorite picks to sneak into the girl’s closet later. </p><p> </p><p>        Reina moved across to the bed, pushing her robe off, and then pulling her hair out of the towel on top of her head before dressing. Her hair had already dried, which she was elated to realize, meaning she was able to skip blow drying, She began to dress, taking notice of how tight the fabric pressed against her chest. She scooped up her bag and shoes, in preparation to put them on once in the foyer, then took one quick look at herself in the mirror before opening her door and slipping out. </p><p> </p><p>        Sora was waiting at the table for her, their drinks both already set. The two had decided that though Reina would be having dinner out, they would still partake in their nightly drinks, since it was likely that Sora may already be in bed by the time Reina got back to the estate. Reina set down her items as she smiled at Sora, then sat and began to pour the creamer and sugar into her coffee. </p><p> </p><p>        “Are you excited?” Sora mused, taking her first sip now that her guest had arrived. Reina gave a little smile as she brought the cup to her lips. </p><p> </p><p>        “Mostly, though I have to admit, I am a little more excited to see the Tokyo nightlife,” she admitted, taking a sip of her own. “Oh, by the way, I had an interesting encounter today,” Reina remembered, and Sora nodded quickly, prepared. “I was asking Tamaki today about tourist spots around Japan for an upcoming weekend I have coming up, and when he realized that I hadn’t seen much of Tokyo yet, he tried to ask me out for tonight.” </p><p> </p><p>        “So how did he react to your date tonight?” She asked, now completely intrigued. Reina shrugged and took another quick drink. </p><p> </p><p>        “I mean, he seemed fine,” Reina recalled, looking up to think. “He gave me his number and said if I needed any help, to call him. And he wanted me to let me know when I was home safe. He also found out that my birthday was coming up and wanted to take me on a trip for it.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Something tells me he isn’t gay,” Sora sang, eyebrows pressed up and a wide smile spread across her face. “Are you going to take him up on that birthday trip offer?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I sort of already have plans for my birthday weekend, which I probably should have told you about since I won’t be here,” Reina realized, now a bit embarrassed. “But I told him we could hang out the weekend before or after maybe.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Just hang out? Not a date?” Sora mused, and Reina shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>        “I mean, whatever you want to call it. I guess I’m just under the impression that it would only be hanging out, with the information I was given and all,” she explained. She reached into her bag to grab her phone to check the time, then took another quick drink of her coffee. “I think he’ll be here soon, I should probably get my shoes on in the foyer so that I’m prepared,” she concluded, now standing and grabbing her items. Sora nodded understandingly, then smirked a little. </p><p> </p><p>        “We have sensors on the front door, just so you know,” she admitted. “So you don’t need to text me when you’re home. If the sensor doesn’t go off twice - once for you, and once for Saito, then I’ll know you’re not home. Just text me if you plan to go somewhere, elsewhere, for the night,” Sora smiled, to which Reina blushed up. </p><p> </p><p>        “I promise, that sensor will go off twice,” she laughed a little, then gave her a bow before heading off. She plopped down on a bench set in the foyer so she could put her shoes on properly. Just as she finished, she heard the doorbell ring. <em>Perfect timing,</em> she thought, as she stood and headed to open it. Hiroto stood, hands in his jean pockets, and a black long sleeved button up on top. His normally shoulder length, shaggy hair was now pulled back to show off his face a little bit, a smile illuminating his face. </p><p> </p><p>        “You look great,” he laughed a little, and she smiled, swinging her bag onto her shoulder and stepping out, closing the door behind her. </p><p> </p><p>        “Likewise,” she nodded, and followed him down the estate steps towards his car. It wasn’t anything crazy, but definitely a brand new suburban type of car, and it was clear that Hiroto had put money in the bright red paint job that the car wore. They each moved to their separate sides of the car and climbed in. “So, I never really asked, where are we going?” He turned on the car and started their drive, before Reina even had the chance to buckle. </p><p> </p><p>        “There’s a nice restaurant downtown, it’s on the 30th floor so it has some amazing views,” he grinned. “They also have a live band some weekends, but it’s randomized on who, so I’m hoping that we’ll land a good one.” Reina smiled softly. “And afterwards, I was thinking since you haven’t seen much around here, we could get some dessert and just walk around the downtown area?” He suggested as she smiled in his direction. </p><p> </p><p>        “That sounds great, Hiroto,” she smiled. Neither of them were acknowledging or noticing the black car closing trailing Hiroto’s car. Once getting to the building, Hiroto pulled into the valet parking, and two assistants came over to open the couple’s doors. They each climbed out, and Reina thanked her helper as Hiroto slipped him a small tip. He walked around to her side of the car and held his hand out to her, which she took, and they headed inside to get seated. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        In another home not too far away, the two Suoh men were seated at their dinner table, food sitting in front of them. Tamaki was bouncing his leg and tapping his spoon against the inside of his soup bowl, eyes watching the condensation on his water glass fall and hit the coaster. Yuzuru continued to eat, though he noticed his son’s troubled actions. Tamaki always seemed to have something on his mind, and typically, it was something that Yuzuru could find amusement in. As Tamaki reached into his pocket with his free hand and checked his phone for the third time so far, Yuzuru finally cleared his throat and set his spoon down, hanging out of the bowl. </p><p> </p><p>        “What’s on your mind, son?” He asked, and Tamaki’s eyes shot up in his father’s direction. Leg no longer bouncing, he took his free hand and smoothed his hair back in a sigh. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m waiting on a text,” Tamaki admitted, and Yuzuru gave a soft nod. </p><p> </p><p>        “Something important, I’m assuming?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Very,” Tamaki nodded, swallowing though no food had yet made its way into his mouth. “A new friend of mine is on a date, and I’m ready to go pick her up when she needs me to.” </p><p> </p><p>        “You’re facilitating her transportation for her date?” Yuzuru questioned, an eyebrow cocked, and Tamaki flared up in a blush. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, no, but I don’t know the guy she’s out with, so I don’t know if he’ll treat her right. So I’m prepared to go rescue her,” he swore, a new determination set in his voice. Yuzuru’s eyebrow remained cocked, but he gave a quick nod, turning back to his meal for just a quick moment. </p><p> </p><p>        “Am I correct in assuming that this new friend you’re referring to is the new classmate you’ve mentioned a few times?” Yuzuru asked, to which Tamaki nodded softly and took his first drink of water since sitting. “Reina Thompson, am I right?” Once again, a nod. Yuzuru nodded a bit and continued, “I remember seeing her application. The whole host family thing threw me for a loop, but I knew I had to make sure she got into Ouran.” Tamaki wasn’t listening, so Yuzuru just smiled. <em>I guess I’ll just keep my secrets for now, then,</em> he thought. “Well, if you think you’re going to need to go save this girl, then you should at least be nourished for it. You should eat,” Yuzuru pointed out to his son, who with wide eyes, began to quickly scoop the soup into his mouth. Yuzuru laughed a bit then turned back to his own meal. <em>It seems he has an interest in the girl. I have a feeling that this is going to get entertaining soon.</em></p><p> </p><p>~ </p><p> </p><p>        The restaurant that Hiroto had picked out was a traditional Italian place, and like he had first said, the views were in fact amazing. They had been able to secure a spot near a window, and Reina had spent the majority of their time just admiring the city below. In the middle of the room was a live piano player, playing soft music. Hiroto watched the pianist for a moment before sighing and looking at Reina. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sorry. Like I said, the musicians are randomly picked, they don’t put out a list or anything, so it’s hit or miss,” he told her, and she turned to look at him, cocking her head a little to the side in confusion. “I thought it would be a little cooler, I know that piano isn’t the most interesting thing.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Don’t apologize, I love piano music,” Reina reassured him with a smile. He furrowed his eyebrows, not really convinced, and she laughed a little. “I mean, I don’t buy instrumental music CDs or anything, but it’s nice background music, you know? If there was a singer I probably would have a hard time concentrating on conversation,” she explained, glancing back at the piano in the center of the restaurant, and she gave another smile. “Plus, it’s peaceful.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Fair enough,” Hiroto said, picking up his fork and beginning to fidget with it. She watched the pianist for a few more moments before turning back to her date and studying him. <em>He is rather handsome, </em>she admitted, <em>I can especially see it with his hair pulled back like that. Though, it does make him look a little older now. It seems that the men in Japan keep their hair longer than I’m used to. </em>She looked at his eyes as he was looking down at the fork. They were a soft brown, almost a honey color. They definitely held a different energy than they did in class. She noticed that his normally brash attitude had been replaced by another that seemed much more quiet and normal. <em>Maybe it’s nerves, </em>she wondered. “So am I the first one to take you out?” </p><p> </p><p>        “If you admit that my tour wasn’t a date, then yeah, you hold the title of first date in Japan,” Reina teased, and he gave a little bit of a chuckle. </p><p> </p><p>        “When you put it that way, I guess it does seem a little more appealing to just admit you’re right,” he admitted, before peeking up at her through his dark bangs. “But I think it might piss you off to keep disagreeing with you, so I’m not making up my mind yet.” Reina scrunched up her nose and before she could argue, their waitress came by to take their order, and they had both decided earlier in sitting to just pick up two of the nightly specials. Once the waitress left to grab their drinks, Hiroto looked up at her again. “So are you nervous for the auditions next week?” Reina shrugged a bit and then looked down at her hands. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t know if nervous is the right word, honestly. I think I feel just a bit out of my element, I’m not normally into plays. I actually tend to lean more towards musicals. Or, at least that’s my preference,” she explained, to which he grimaced a little in clear disagreement, and she laughed. “Do people in our class normally do the tech work, or is that outsourced?” She asked. </p><p> </p><p>        “Normally we have too many people in the class compared to the amount of characters in the cast, so before auditions start, Mrs. Tanaka will ask everyone if anyone wants to be a part of the behind the scenes cast. That way, less people will have to feel the disappointment of not being casted.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I think I may offer to do that,” Reina said, and Hiroto frowned a little. “I don’t want to take a part away from someone if I’m not even really that invested in plays anyway. And I know similar to how you reacted, there are gonna be more people who don’t want to be a part of the musical, so I’ll have a better chance of getting a big part in the musical anyway.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t think you have to worry about getting a big part or not. Everyone likes you well enough, I’m sure you’d get something,” he suggested, but she still shook her head. He sighed, but then thought of an idea. “Listen, the two main parts of tech are lights and sound, and they get to stay in the booth together. If we go to Mrs. Tanaka first thing on Monday together, she probably would assign both of us those roles if we asked outright for them,” he offered, but Reina quickly shook her head. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, it’s your last year here, Hiroto! You can’t opt out of the play, it’s your last one,” she reminded him. “Besides, you said you don’t like musicals, so this would be your last show altogether if I’m assuming correctly.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Ah, you know what they say about assuming. I didn’t say I didn’t like musicals, I just made a face. For all you know, I could have been thinking about your singing,” he grinned, and she stuck her tongue out at him with her nose scrunched. “Plus, I’m sure you know the drill. Tech does nothing for 75% of the production, and with how busy third year has been, I could use the extra homework time. I just have one condition,” he started, holding his hand out for the upcoming handshake. “I get to do sound. Since it’s just a play, there shouldn’t be a lot of sounds I would have to play, and I want the easier option,” he said, to which Reina laughed and reached out, taking her hand in his and shaking it. </p><p> </p><p>        “You got yourself a deal there,” she agreed, which got a large smile cast her way. The food quickly arrived and they began to eat, just enjoying the food and music for a little while. After a little while, Reina had begun to notice out of the corner of her eye a single man near their table, who kept taking peeks in their direction. She continued to eat, making sure not to look directly at the man, but kept him in her vision. <em>He doesn’t even seem to be eating</em>, she thought. She pulled out her phone for a moment, giving a smile to the curious Hiroto. “Can you smile for a picture? My mom wanted to see the guy taking me on a date,” Reina half lied. He gave her an odd look, but then set his fork down and decided to muse her by giving her a big, goofy grin. Reina, who wasn’t intending on actually taking a picture of Hiroto in the first place, quickly changed her mind and snapped the picture. As she moved her phone over, as if to put it down, she took one more of the man. It had to have been perfect timing because he was looking at their table, even in the photo. She gave him a thank you, then quickly sent the second photo to Hiroto with the text ‘<em>He’s watching us</em>.’ Hiroto noticed his phone vibrate, but not wanting to be rude, he decided not to check it. Reina gave him a smile, then glanced down below the table to where his pocket would be, then looked up at him again, eyes a little wider. He finally picked up on the hint and pulled his phone out but kept it in his lap, looking down at the message, then scowling. </p><p> </p><p>        “Since when?” He asked quietly, closing his phone once more and picking up his fork again to not look suspicious. Reina shrugged a little and covered the side of her mouth, the side that the man would be able to see, in case he could somehow read lips from that far away. </p><p> </p><p>        “Since the food got here, at least,” she whispered, and Hiroto shot a quick glance at the man with nothing but a side salad in front of him. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe he’s just jealous that we have good food?” He smirked, and she laughed. “Or maybe he’s jealous that I’m on a date with a pretty girl?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Must be the food thing,” she laughed, taking another bite. They were both already almost done with their food. “So you don’t know him?” </p><p> </p><p>        “No, of course not,” he swiftly said after casting another glance in his direction, then finally took the last bite on his plate. “And you don’t?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t know anyone in Japan other than Ouran students, and that man hasn’t been a student anywhere in decades,” she mused, and Hiroto chuckled once more and shrugged again. </p><p> </p><p>        “I still think the pretty girl option is a strong variable, I wouldn’t worry about it,” he smiled. The waitress came by and dropped off the bill, which Hiroto immediately snatched off the table before Reina could even look at it. “No, my treat, thanks,” he said, pulling out his wallet. Reina pressed her eyebrows together. </p><p> </p><p>        “Please, let me pay half,” she whined, and when he simply shook his head while putting his card in, she smiled. “Fine. But I remember you saying something about dessert and walking around downtown, and as long as I haven’t bored you too much, I still would love to do that. And that one is my treat.” Hiroto raised his eyebrows, but with a smile, nodded. </p><p> </p><p>        “If you insist, then I guess,” he said. The waitress picked up the bill and within a few moments, was back with the receipt. Reina pulled out a few bills and set them on the table, to which Hiroto gave her a confused look. “What’s that? I already told you I got it.” </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s the tip, you know, for the waitress?” She asked, tilting her head, and he laughed. </p><p> </p><p>        “Oh, I forgot,” he said, sliding the cash back in her direction. “We don’t tip here. It’s just added into the bill, I guess, and they pay their employees well enough,” he explained, standing up and holding a hand out for her. She nodded a bit before putting the cash back in her wallet to take his hand and stand. </p><p> </p><p>        “Weird. But whatever, thanks for letting me know,” she smiled, peeking over his shoulder to see the man who had been watching them now paying the bill, but still sneaking peeks at the couple. An idea popped in her head, and she leaned up, her body pressed tight against Hiroto’s own to whisper in his ear. His face grew red quickly from the intimate position they were in, but as he listened to her words, his grin grew and he nodded. Reina backed off and held onto his hand as they began to walk towards the door. As they were passing by the man, the couple both looked at him, practically demanding eye contact, and they each blew him a little kiss as they walked. The two were able to successfully make it out of the restaurant before collapsing against each other in laughter. </p><p> </p><p>        Inside the restaurant, the astounded man was making a call to another member of the police force to let them know that he had been seen, and he needed someone to take over for him. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. No Expectations (11)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Eleven</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        The couple was still laughing periodically as Hiroto drove through the streets on the hunt for a good dessert place. It didn’t take long for another black, unmarked car to turn in behind them to follow, but they were too preoccupied to notice that one either. </p><p> </p><p>        “I think you made his day,” Hiroto chuckled, wiping a tear away from the laughter. “Had I not done it as well, it might have just made his whole month.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Au contraire, sir, I think it’s the reverse,” she giggled, head hitting the headrest as she looked up at the car ceiling to try and contain her laughter. “I think those googly eyes were in your direction, I thought I was about to lose a date,” she said, starting up laughing again as Hiroto joined her and shook his head slightly, not having the voice to combat with another joke. Finally, he spotted a little ice cream shop that appeared to be open and turned into an open parking spot nearby. He turned off the car and climbed out of the car, quickly followed by Reina, both of them still smiling quite a bit. He reached out for her hand once they met at the hood of the car, and she took it softly as they made their way through the open ice cream parlor doors. “I should send you that first picture of you, I might need to print that one,” she teased, smiling up at him. </p><p> </p><p>        “If you do, I’ll get you a frame so you can put it by your bedside table,” he winked down at her as he directed her towards the glass presenting all the ice cream options. She rolled her eyes and gave him a side eyed look, but turned her direction to the glass in front of them. “Any idea what you might want?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Any suggestions?” She asked, and he pointed to a pastel green one. </p><p> </p><p>        “Matcha is just so Japanese, if you wanted something cultural for dessert,” he teased and she rolled her eyes again with a laugh. </p><p> </p><p>        "Is it any good?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Nah, it tastes like crap,” he said and she laughed, covering her mouth quickly to not be rude to the other customers in the store. Hiroto stifled a chuckle himself, then shrugged a little. “I think my tastes are a little plain, I’m just planning to get the chocolate chip.” Reina smiled up at the employee who had just come from the backroom to tend to them. </p><p> </p><p>        “Can we get two cones, one of them with one scoop of chocolate chip,” she turned to him mid sentence. “How many scoops do you want?” He shot her that same goofy smile from earlier and held up two fingers, and she softly giggled before turning back to the employee. “And the other one with two scoops of the same flavor?” The young girl smiled and nodded, grabbing a scoop and began to prepare the cones for them. She handed out Reina’s first, which she took then handed to Hiroto as she pulled her wallet out of her bag in preparation to pay. Hiroto took the other cone from the employee with a nod her way, and Reina made her way to the register with her debit card in hand. She quickly paid, said her thanks to the girl, before taking her dessert back from the boy awkwardly standing with two ice cream cones and held out her free hand for him. Hiroto took it and led Reina out of the parlor, and turned left so they could start their walk. “You know,” Reina said softly, looking at the cone. “You’re much different outside of class. Nicer, in a way.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I can be meaner if you want me to?” He suggested, and she smirked up at him through her bangs. “I know, that’s not what you meant. I don’t really know why, to be honest. Do you think I’m too mean in class?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t think mean is the word I would use,” she thought out loud. “Just a little more abrasive, I guess. It might just because you’re around more people.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe,” he said, licking his ice cream quickly before continuing. </p><p> </p><p>        “Am I the first to tell you that? Maybe you’re only like that in theatre class? It might make sense, since I’m sure you’re comfortable in that class,” Reina questioned him, looking up at him with a smile, and he chuckled. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, you’re the first to say it,” he admitted, “But that doesn’t really mean anything. Just that nobody else has mentioned it before. I don’t know. I think I may come across that way, especially to you, because I thought you were really cute. But I obviously wasn’t the only one to think that way. Maybe I’m just a little jealous, is all,” he shrugged, looking ahead now, not wanting to make eye contact. Reina stayed silent for a few moments. </p><p> </p><p>        “Is that why you reacted the way you did about Tamaki?” She asked, and he grimaced slightly. </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe partially. But what I said was the truth,” he warned, squeezing her hand a little, but still looking forward. “I’ve seen a lot of girls who grow an attachment for any of those host guys, and then they tend to get upset when it’s not reciprocated anymore than just wanting to keep guests,” he explained. “I wouldn’t really mind what they were doing if they could just be a little more honest about it. Like be honest with me,” he said, turning in her direction. “Did you have any sort of feelings that might have led you to believe that Suoh liked you?” Reina thought about her words for a long moment, subconsciously kicking the rocks below her feet. </p><p> </p><p>        “I guess you could say that, yeah. I questioned it for sure. But I didn’t think the guy was in love with me or anything, I just figured he was a nice guy who was simultaneously really flirty,” she explained, and Hiroto nodded a little in understanding. “But I understand what you mean about wanting more honesty, I get it. Because had I pursued that, I would have probably been wasting my time. I guess I was a little fortunate, his friends let me in on a little secret about him having a crush on someone else, so it made my path a little clearer,” she shrugged. Hiroto squeezed her hand again. </p><p> </p><p>        “Were you hurt?” He asked, and Reina shook her head with a little laugh. </p><p> </p><p>        “No, not at all,” she reassured. “Like I said, I just figured he was a nice and flirty guy. I have no problems with being just friends with him. Besides,” she said, looking up at him. “I never really know when the next time I’m going to move next is. Could be at the end of this year, or I could graduate from Ouran. It’s all kind of a tossup, so high school relationships wouldn’t ever really work for me anyway,” she shrugged. “I’m sure you can understand that to an extent, being in your last year and all. Do you plan to stay in Tokyo for college?”</p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t know if I will,” he admitted, looking over at her. “I guess I understand your logic, then. So basically, just live for the next year?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Exactly. Just live for the next year, and have no expectations for what’s to come,” she laughed and shrugged again. “What is meant to happen will happen, but pursuing relationships for me is sorta pointless. However, if I move at the end of the year, and you choose to study out of the country, then we’ll keep those memories,” Reina grinned, to receive a reciprocated one her way. “At least, that’s how I think of everything. You’ll always get to remember the look on that guy’s face when you sent him a kiss,” she laughed, nudging him. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, sure,” he laughed. “That, and a lot more.” </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        Hiroto walked her up to the top of the estate stairs, letting go of the hand that he led her up with, and standing in front of her. Reina smiled up at him, clutching her bag with both hands in front of her. It was pretty dark out, considering it was almost 11:00 at this point. </p><p> </p><p>        “I had a lot of fun, Hiroto,” she beamed. “Thank you for taking me out, I really enjoyed it.” </p><p> </p><p>        “So did I,” he smiled, his hands fumbling around in his jean pockets. “Maybe we could do it again sometime?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, maybe, if I’m not too busy. I hear that doing lights for a school play is pretty time consuming, but I can check my schedule,” she teased. He let out a breathy little chuckle, before leaning down and giving her a kiss on her cheek. Heat immediately rose to her cheeks, and Hiroto was able to feel it against his lips, which made him chuckle a little again before pulling back.</p><p> </p><p>        “Have a good night, Reina,” he said softly as she reached for the house door. He turned on his heel to leave, but she quickly spoke up. </p><p> </p><p>        “Hey, will you text me when you get home safely?” She asked, the door now pushed open but she stayed outside. Hiroto glanced back at her and gave her a small smile and a nod. “By the way, I forgot to tell you,” she said as she walked through the entrance, turning back around for a moment to say, “You look really good with your hair pulled back,” she smiled, before shutting the door behind her, leaving Hiroto standing still with a soft blush spread across his cheeks. </p><p> </p><p>        Reina pulled off her shoes, rubbing each aching foot for a quick moment before heading off towards her room. Upon entering, she immediately stripped out of the dress and laid across the bed for a quick moment, trying to gain the energy to get back up and get her nightwear on. She grabbed her bag and dragged it over to her, pulling her phone out. After about two minutes, she got the text from Hiroto saying he had gotten home. She sent a quick goodnight text to him, then switched over to fulfill a promise. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Reina: Home :) Not sure if you’re awake but wanted to check in</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        The response was almost instantaneous. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: I am. That was a long date, did you have fun?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: Yeah it was good. But you must be tired, I can tell you about it some other time</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: I’m up anyway doing English, I wouldn’t mind the company :) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: Do you want me to call?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Before she could have even left the messaging app, Tamaki was the one to call her first. She stared at the screen for a second before looking down at her mostly nude body. <em>It feels weird to talk to someone while unclothed, somehow,</em> she thought, then realized, <em>No, it’s weird to talk to a guy naked when I just got back from a date with a separate guy. </em>She shook the thought away as she answered the phone and immediately put it on speakerphone so that she could get up to get dressed, but somehow laid the phone next to her head and still didn’t move a muscle to get up. </p><p> </p><p>        “I bet you’re really regretting taking English now, huh? It’s gonna be your demise, kiddo,” Reina laughed, and she could hear a tired chuckle from the other end. </p><p> </p><p>        “On the contrary, my princess. It just means I have more of an excuse to talk to you,” he responded. Even his voice was tired, which made Reina frown. </p><p> </p><p>        “You really should get to sleep, I know the dance is tomorrow but you’ll have all of Sunday to do homework. You sound exhausted.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m sure I’ll be even more tired on Sunday after the party, so I would prefer to just get it out of the way now,” he said. “Besides, if I go to bed then I have to hang up on you.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Not if I hang up with you first,” she said, stifling a yawn that was begging to crawl up her chest. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t think you would,” he merely responded, and Reina could feel his ego pounding. For a split second, she debated hanging up with him just for the joke, but figured that helping him with his homework would get them both to bed faster. </p><p> </p><p>        “So what questions do you need help with, can you read them off to me?” She asked, resting her arms across her bare stomach and closing her eyes, head tilting towards the phone laying next to her ear. </p><p> </p><p>        “I actually don’t think I need much help, to be honest with you. Like I said, I just appreciate the company.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Suit yourself,” she said, eyes still closed. </p><p> </p><p>        “So do you want to talk about your date?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I feel it’s so anticlimactic to explain a date, since it always sounds so boring in words, but if it’ll amuse you I can,” she said, voice getting softer as she got more and more tired. “We went to a nice Italian restaurant, the view was so beautiful. I could see the whole city from there. After that, we went to get ice cream, and kinda just talked while we walked around the downtown area. After I started to get tired, we got back to his car and he offered to drive me around to see some of the parts we didn’t get to on foot. So we just drove and listened to music for a little while before he brought me back home.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Anything else?” Tamaki asked, though tried not to sound too prodding. <em>Did you kiss? Did he kiss you, Reina? Did you two fall in love? </em>He burst out of his thoughts when he heard a loud laugh over the phone. </p><p> </p><p>        “Oh, yeah,” she was able to piece together, still laughing pretty heavily. “There was another thing, but I don’t know if it’ll be as funny when I say it out loud,” Reina finally pushed out, the laughter slowly ceasing. Tamaki gave a chuckle, just basking in the bliss of the sound of her laughter for the few moments he was graced it. “There was this old creep staring at us at the restaurant, so when we were leaving, Hiroto and I both blew him a kiss. You should have seen the look on his face,” she said, now going back to laughing. Tamaki’s eyes widened a little bit. </p><p> </p><p>        “An old creep? Why didn’t you text me? I told you to tell me if you were in any danger,” he said in a reprimanding tone, but he was just greeted with more laughter on the other end of the phone. </p><p> </p><p>        “I wasn’t in any danger,” she assured. “But man, maybe I should have called you and your friends over. I’d have loved to see the look on his face to see a bunch of handsome men blowing kisses at him.” Tamaki finally let out a little bit of a chuckle, trying to picture it as well, before a little smirk crept onto his face. </p><p> </p><p>        “So my princess does find me handsome! I’m glad to hear that, I was starting to doubt it. I thought maybe you couldn’t see my good looks,” he grinned, and Reina laughed. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, me and every other girl in the school. I don’t know why my opinion is such an achievement, but have at it,” she said, that yawn finally coming through. “Tell me about your day,” she said, once finishing her yawn. “How was the club today? Are all of your guests excited for tomorrow?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Very,” he nodded, though she obviously couldn’t see him. “But I doubt any of their excitement trumps mine to see you in a pretty dress tomorrow.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Your guests seem pretty devoted, I wouldn’t put money on that,” Reina’s tired voice mumbled. There was a long moment of silence, before Tamaki asked. </p><p> </p><p>        “Do you think you’ll go on another date with him?” </p><p> </p><p>        “Maybe,” she softly said, now nuzzling the back of her head into the pillows, eyes still closed, but she draped one arm across them to shield her from the light that was on. “We kinda had a conversation about how I’m not pursuing any relationships, and how both he and I are just going to live our lives this year and have fun. You’re not talking to future Mrs. Kiyama here or anything like that.” Tamaki shuddered at the thought of that. <em>There’s no way he could marry her. I know I don’t know him, but I know that Reina deserves a lot, and if he’s a stranger then I could never allow that to happen. I would have to approve of him first, of course. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “Does that mean you’re still free to go on other dates with other men, then?” He coolly questioned, not trying to sound too desperate or anything. Instead, he just sounded a little uninterested, but Reina kind of expected as much. <em>Seeing as he’s gay and all, </em>she thought to herself. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, if I want to. But I don’t have guys knocking down my door really either, so I don’t think I’ll need to worry about that too much. Hey, are you almost done with your homework? If you take any longer, I may fall asleep on the phone with you.” </p><p> </p><p>        “You don’t have to stay up if you’re tired, my princess.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I know I don’t have to, but as a good friend, I’m going to,” she softly said, obviously very tired. The word friend sent a little shock to his chest, but he ignored it. “Plus if you need help with a question, and I’m asleep, it’ll only be put off for longer.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, in that case,” he started very softly. “I do have a <em>few</em> problems I needed some help on.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Tango with Twins (12)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Twelve</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina woke up to the sound of her phone going off, the alarm she had set for her shopping date with Emica. Almost in perfect sync with the alarm, she received a text from Emica. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Emica: My driver and I should be there in about 20 minutes, sound good? :) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: don’t expect me to look nice because I just woke up haha but thats okay</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        She looked down at herself and noticed that after hanging up with Tamaki, she didn’t actually get up and put pajamas on like she had said she would ten times before apparently falling asleep. She and Tamaki had stayed up a little past 12:30 am talking, both about English and about the dance the next day. <em>With how tired I am, maybe I should have cut the conversation short, but I really did enjoy just listening to him talk, </em>she thought as she quickly threw open her closet and peeked inside. <em>If we only go to one store, I’ll only have to get undressed once. Jeans should be fine for today,</em> she grabbed a pair of jeans and a baby pink button up blouse, along with a pair of socks. Reina quickly threw on the items, then turned to her reflection in the long mirror next to her. Her eyeliner was smudged, but the rest looked fine, so she headed to the vanity to fix it up quickly. After finishing, Reina sat back in her seat and pulled out her phone to check the time. <em>I still have a little under ten minutes until Emica gets here,</em> she thought. She noticed the text icon blinking, meaning she had an old unopened one. Opening her messaging app, she saw a text from Tamaki shortly after they got off the phone with each other. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: Thanks for keeping me company, my princess. I look forward to your company tomorrow night as well ;) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: anytime! sorry I didn’t respond, I passed out when we hung up</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        She reached across to grab her bag, which was still laying across her bed from the night before, and threw her phone in it. Sora and her had already discussed Reina’s busy weekend, and already had a gameplan set up for it. Sora was aware that she probably wasn’t going to see her much of Saturday, therefore Sunday they would meet up for breakfast and discuss everything. Reina left the room and began to walk down to the dining table, where the maids had already set out another to-go cup of coffee for her. She quickly retrieved it before heading to the foyer, sitting on the bench and pulling her tennis shoes on. Reina could hear the sound of tires against gravel, so quickly pulled her bag to her side before running out to meet her friend in the car. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p><em>        So I was sorely mistaken in assuming we would only be going to one store, </em>Reina thought as Emica pulled her into their fourth store so far. They had found a few contenders for dresses, but Emica insisted that they could just come back if they found nothing better. The two entered yet another high end boutique, and Reina was surprised to see quite a bit more color in this shop. A lot of the stores they had been in seemed more targeted towards older women, and she could see that this store had broader horizons than the last ones did. </p><p> </p><p>        “I absolutely adore this little shop,” Emica grinned, immediately running to a rack that had some shorter dress options. Reina felt her phone vibrate so she pulled it out. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: and I only woke up now, so we’re even on late responses now I think</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina had earlier asked Emica if she knew what dress code was like for the dance, but apparently, the hosts had only told the girls to wear something beautiful, which didn’t help her much. So she decided to take it up with the king himself. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: so I’m out now looking for a dress for tonight but I have no clue what to be searching for. Is long too formal? Is above the knee too revealing? What are the normal wear you’re expecting to see?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: I think just about anything goes, the boys will all be wearing tuxes, so a long dress would be no more formal than my attire will be. If you want to match, I’ll be wearing purple ;) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: soooo most the girls will be wearing purple then. lol. I’ll see what I can find. thank you (:</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        With a little laugh at his last text, Reina tucked her phone again once more and walked over to meet Emica, who was already carrying at least five dresses. Her friend turned a grin her way before practically tossing two dresses at Reina. </p><p> </p><p>        “Those would look so cute on you, you <em>must</em> try them on!” She grinned, and Reina turned to look at the options. One was a soft yellow, which immediately reminded her of their school uniforms, so she placed it in the ‘No’ slot in her mind. The other was a long, formal black dress with a lot of the back revealing. She took a look at the ones still remaining in Emica’s hands, and suddenly realized after Tamaki’s text that Emica had only been looking at navy blue dresses. </p><p> </p><p>        “Is navy blue just a good color on you?” Reina asked, beginning to push through the racks on her own. Emica shook her head, still peeking through the dresses on the same rack.</p><p> </p><p>        “No, Mori is going to be wearing a navy blue suit,” she informed with a large smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “I see,” Reina nodded. “So I’m assuming that you tend to go to see Mori when you go to the club?” Emica nodded with a soft smile. <em>Mori must be the one that is always with Honey, I guess looking back, I never caught his name, </em>Reina pieced together. “Tamaki just told me that he’s wearing purple, so is it standard practice for guests to match with their preferred hosts?” Emica turned to Reina, eyes now wide. </p><p> </p><p>        “What do you mean he ‘just told you’? I know people who have been trying to figure that out for weeks so they could match with him!” She exclaimed, eyes still widened and boring into the confused Reina. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I just texted him is all, to ask for his opinion on what I should wear. He told me that any kind of dress would work, and he would be wearing purple if I wanted to match him. I didn’t know that was classified or anything,” Reina admitted, and Emica immediately grabbed the dresses back from the girl, hanging them back up. </p><p> </p><p>        “That’s so amazing! He must really like you, Reina, just like Mori really likes me! We have to get you something in purple,” Emica said, looking around the store before finding a section that had a few different variations of purple dresses. Emica grabbed Reina’s hand and dragged her over to those racks. “You didn’t tell me that you two texted, I don’t know of anyone who has a host club member’s number. Most things school related, they handle over email. How’d you get that?” Reina shrugged a little, beginning to look at one of the more lilac colored dresses in front of her. </p><p> </p><p>        “Kind of a long story,” she softly stated, and Emica let out a groan. </p><p> </p><p>        “We have time, Reina. You can’t just leave me on that note,” she whined, throwing another purple option into Reina’s arms. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I kinda went on a date with a guy from my theatre class on Friday, and Tamaki told me that since he didn’t know the guy, he wanted me to have his number in case anything went wrong and I needed help,” Reina explained, picking up a few other colored dresses, despite her friend’s side eyed grimaces. “He also wanted me to text him when I got home safely.” </p><p> </p><p>        “So you totally faked needing help, right?” Emica pushed, finding another navy blue option for herself and adding it to her own pile. Reina pushed her eyebrows together, glancing over at her friend. </p><p> </p><p>        “I think I would have to be psycho to do that,” Reina told her, to which Emica laughed. </p><p> </p><p>        “Call me psycho then, because I would have done that in a heartbeat to have Mori come pick me up,” she admitted with a shrug. “Though, I wouldn’t be on another date, because I’m saving myself for Mori.” </p><p> </p><p>        “So are you two a thing, then?” Reina asked, moving over to another rack that was still within earshot. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, not yet,” she disclosed with a soft smile, turning to look at Reina who was peering over at her from the other rack. “But I know we will be. I really know he likes me. Whenever there’s more than one guest sitting with him, he tends to look at me the most! Just the other day, he called me pretty, and he rarely compliments his guests outright! I’m calling it now, we’re going to get married,” Emica beamed. Reina shot her a smile, before turning away and frowning. <em>Maybe all the things she’s saying are true, but I really am starting to understand what Hiroto was saying about all this. Emica just said she won’t even go on a date because she thinks she’s going to marry this guy. </em>She glanced down at the plethora of purple dresses in her possession, and started to feel even weirder about it. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, I’m happy for you,” was all Reina was able to force out in between her own thoughts. Finally, she turned to Emica and lifted up the arm holding the weighing dresses. “I think I’m going to go try some of these on so I can weed out this pile.” Emica sent her a nod as she continued to add cloth to her own arm, and Reina turned on her heel towards the dressing rooms. She hung each dress up carefully before pulling her phone back out to see another text message. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: Any other girls matching me would be out of pure coincidence. I’ve only invited one girl to dress in my colors</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Reina: does that go for all hosts? Emica just told me that she would be matching with Mori. Does that mean she’s Mori’s ‘chosen one’? lol</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tamaki: I’m not sure, we don’t really make rules about that kind of thing to be honest</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina put the phone face up on the bench, just in case she was going to receive any more texts, then began to undress. Glancing back at her dresses, she decided to get some of the matching ones out of the way. In every store prior, the two girls would show off each dress, so she decided that Emica would probably instantaneously ask about those. She grabbed a soft lavender, floor length dress. Before even putting it on, Reina knew it would be form fitting, and she knew that this was definitely an Emica pick. <em>That girl definitely doesn’t skimp on the sex appeal, I guess.</em> Reina let the fabric hit the ground and stepped into it, pulling her up her body and pushed her arms through the spaghetti straps. </p><p> </p><p>        “Have you put one on yet?” Emica called from the other side of the door. “I’m about to start dressing too, but I want to see your first one before I start!” Reina looked at herself in the large mirror before sighing and propping the door open. A loud gasp erupted from Emica, and she clasped her free hand over her mouth. “Oh, my, God. That dress was actually made for you.” The top of the dress was a semi-sweetheart neckline with thin little straps to hold her chest in place. As it went down further, it hugged her curves miraculously. After her hips, there was a slight flare in a drop waist style, with a slit on one side. The back of the dress was mostly open, the fabric bunched up at the bottom to give it a cascading effect. “You literally have to get that one. If not for yourself, for me, because nothing has fit me that good all day,” Emica pleaded, and Reina let out a nervous little laugh. </p><p> </p><p>        “I don’t know if I really like it, and I’m still debating on the color. Plus, I wouldn’t be able to wear my bra with this one, so I don’t know,” she trailed off, and Emica pushed her back into the room. </p><p> </p><p>        “Take your bra off and come back out,” she ordered, promptly shutting the door behind Reina. She sighed, but complied, and came back out. “Still looks perfect, and now you don’t have to wear a constricting bra. All around, this is a win. Color and all,” Emica grinned. Reina turned back around to look at herself in the mirror, doing a 360 turn to see it from all angles. <em>If this was black, or literally any other color, I’d jump right on it.</em></p><p> </p><p>        “Let me at least try on the others and we’ll see, okay?” Reina suggested. Emica gave her a sigh, but then nodded before slipping off to her own dressing room. They both took turns showing each other their dresses. Emica had finally found a good navy blue option, opting to join Reina in wearing a long dress. Reina, of course, left the store with the first dress. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Emica: i’m out front waiting for you! :D </em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina smiled at the text before tucking her phone back into her purse and staring out the window of the car as they drove towards the school. She subconsciously was smoothing out her dress, though the maids had gotten all the minor wrinkles out while she was in the shower earlier in the day. Her driver finally arrived, and Reina gave him a swift thank you before climbing out of the car to be greeted by a large group of girls, all who were immediately complimenting each other’s dresses. They all walked together towards the grand hall that their ticket read, though the lights and the music coming from the building quickly gave it away. Each girl, one by one, presented their given ticket to the young man that the club had hired on, who took it and would let them each in with a smile. Most of the girls immediately wandered off upon entering, presumably to find their favorite host member or to meet up with others, but Emica stayed by Reina’s side until they each were let in. </p><p> </p><p>        “They really put a lot of work into this,” Reina thought out loud, looking around at the extravagant details that were put into the hall. They left no corner untucked, and both the girls spent a solid moment just admiring the beautiful sight before regaining their composure and heading further inside the room in order to not block the entry anymore than they already had. </p><p> </p><p>        Across the room, on the steps of the hall, the six men and singular female-dressed-man stood, talking amongst themselves while watching their guests file in. Tamaki in particular was talking to Kyoya about the speech they would be saying when the majority of the guests seemed to have arrived. Kyoya’s eyes crept over for just a moment, then a small little smile appeared on his face, though he continued conversation as if nothing was happening. </p><p> </p><p>        “If you want, you can leave me the logistics, though I’ll allow you to get everyone’s attention. I know you’re fond of that part most of all,” Kyoya said, glancing down at his watch to see the time, calculating that they would only need to wait another minute or two before making their necessary announcements. Tamaki chuckled a little and nodded his head at Kyoya. </p><p> </p><p>        “You do know me so well, Mommy dear,” Tamaki grinned, before turning his eyes back to the growing crowd. Without fully realizing it, his eyes were searching the crowd for guests dressed in purple. He scanned, not seeing too many, until finally his eyes landed on the one. He first noticed the red hair, but before realizing it, his mouth was gaping at the side view he could see of Reina. She was turned towards Emica, conversing a little, though Emica’s eyes were locked on the steps where Tamaki was. He noticed she wasn’t looking straight at him, and made the solid guess that she was watching Mori, based off of Reina’s earlier text. His eyes trailed back to Reina, who was fit so perfectly in the lavender fabric. She stood so elegantly, weight shifted onto one leg, revealing her long leg through the slit. He noticed that her arms were bent, crossed over her stomach, and she was clearly playing with her own fingers - obviously, not too sure what to do with her hands, but he found it charming nonetheless. <em>So, she did decide to match with me. </em>Tamaki had failed to notice that Emica soon recognized his stare, it wasn’t until he saw Emica tap Reina’s shoulder and point in his direction. Reina’s attention shifted to Tamaki, and their eyes met. Each of them blinked from across the room, as if in a losing battle of a staring war, before Reina grinned at him and sent a little wave, her free hand still covering over her stomach. His cheeks began to burn, but before he could react, Kyoya broke his gaze. </p><p> </p><p>        “I think it’s time,” Kyoya announced, turning his body to face the crowd of conversing girls. Tamaki kept his gaze towards Reina just in time to catch her blowing him a kiss, clearly stifling a laugh, but it only made his cheeks grow even hotter. He gave her a swift smile, before taking a step forward and clearing his throat, the pink cheeks beginning to subside. </p><p> </p><p>        “Good evening, angels!” His voice boomed, causing everyone in the room to quiet down and look at him. Everyone except Emica, who had leaned over and immediately began to tell Reina just how much Tamaki was clearly in love with her. “We’re so excited that you all decided to join us on this amazing night. The host club is so excited to present you with our second annual formal dance!” The crowd gave a quick cheer, before silencing again as Kyoya took a step forward. </p><p> </p><p>        “We have a surprise for you all this evening. The young lady who presents the best dance with one of our hosts will be crowned as our queen for the night, and will receive a kiss from our king,” Kyoya smiled, to which excited giggles and chatter erupted throughout the crowd. “Don’t forget to enjoy yourselves, and good luck to you.” That was the girl’s cues to remain conversation amongst themselves as the host club soon dove into their own conversation. Reina watched the boys in the front for a moment before laughing to herself. </p><p> </p><p>        “This kind of reminds me of middle school,” she joked, turning to Emica. “All the boys and girls separated, not yet dancing with each other or anything.” Emica gave a little giggle, though her eyes were still darting back between Reina and Mori. Reina glanced up at the host club once more, before seeing Tamaki embrace an embarrassed Haruhi in an awkward side hug, the twins standing on either side of the couple dotingly. Unbeknownst to Reina, the club was simply ordering the commoner some fancy tuna and sushi, but Reina couldn’t help but smile. <em>He seems like such a good guy, I hope Haruhi feels the same way for him. </em>Emica gave an excited little shriek, which pushed Reina out of her train of thought. </p><p> </p><p>        “I just love how friendly they all are with each other!” Emica cried, tears swelling in her eyes. Reina definitely had to hold back her laughter at the word friendly. <em>I think it’s way more than friendly, but I assume everyone will find out eventually if they continue showing PDA. </em>Mori and Honey were the first to break away from the group, heading down the steps towards the dance floor. Emica’s eyes widened, and Reina laughed a little bit, motioning for her to go to Mori. It didn’t take even a second before Emica followed those orders, being the first to make her way to Mori, therefore securing herself as his first dance of the night. Reina watched the couple with a soft smile, the thoughts from earlier swirling back in. <em>I really hope that she’s somehow right. I hope that she doesn’t get hurt by the end of this year,</em> Reina thought sadly, watching how bright Emica’s smile was in that moment dancing with Mori. She wasn’t aware of the handsome blonde man who was watching her. He took the walk down the steps with the twins trailing behind him, headed to Reina, but not before he was bombarded by a group of his guests asking for a dance. Tamaki scratched the back of his neck, but obviously complied with a smile. The twins, who had seen his trail of vision, gave each other little smirks before heading towards Reina on their own. </p><p> </p><p>        “You look so lonely,” Kaoru pouted as they approached the girl, blocking her view from her friend and Mori, which automatically got her attention on the pair. </p><p> </p><p>        “Why don’t you join us in a throuple dance?” Hikaru asked, as they both extended their hands out for her. She laughed a little at the usage of the word throuple, but took each of their hands and nodded a bit. “Did the boss ask you to match with him?” </p><p> </p><p>        “I guess so,” she said as they led her to the dance floor, Tamaki shooting daggers with his eyes at the twins over his dance partner’s head. “But I’m still not too sure why, to be honest.” </p><p> </p><p>        “Probably because he likes you?” Kaoru answered, as if it were obvious, twirling her swiftly before placing his hand on her waist. Reina gave a little nod. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, I guess we have gotten to be pretty good friends in the last few weeks,” Reina admitted, and the twins each shared a dumbfounded look.</p><p> </p><p>        “You must really be dense,” Hikaru shot, catching Reina as Kaoru twirled her his way. “Why did you assume that we meant in a friendly way?” Reina shot him an equally confused look as the twins had just held. </p><p> </p><p>        “Because, it’s unlikely to be in any other way.. Remember?” She tried to jog their memories, but Hikaru still looked like his mind was blank. Reina looked over her shoulder to look at Kaoru, who shook his head, as if he didn’t know what she was referring to. Hikaru twirled her again, sending her to Kaoru, but this time, Reina held onto Hikaru and brought him with her. She was sandwiched between the twins, which Tamaki watched in horror. Each twin held onto Reina to steady themselves, Hikaru’s hands grabbing onto her waist and Kaoru’s reaching her hips, but she ignored the uncomfortable positioning to reach up closer to their ears before she started to whisper. “You told me he liked Haruhi. So he’s gay, right?” The twins each widened their eyes, staring down at the girl that they held in their four hands. “I’m not gonna tell anyone, obviously, but you guys don’t have to play along, it’s okay.” The twins both looked at each other, realizing the mess they had subconsciously created. “Right?” She asked, her voice a little more stern, trying to get an answer out of their silence. Luckily for the two, the song had just ended. They both took their hands back from her body, and linked arms with each other. </p><p> </p><p>        “Uh oh, the song's over!” They sang, giving her a bow before turning to the line that had formed near their area. Before picking out their next girls from the line, the brothers turned to each other, eyes widened in the same expression. “Oops.” </p><p> </p><p>        Tamaki was enraged watching the encounter, though on the outside, he looked calm and happy as he pulled his next guest out of the crowd for a dance. <em>The audacity of them to go and take her first dance of the night from me, how long they held onto her body, the fact that they just left her standing on the dancefloor and didn’t escort her off. I could hit them both - no, I will hit them both. And I will give Reina a better dance then those two idiots just did,</em> he fumed, though smiling outwardly as the next song started. Emica bounded over to Reina as Mori grabbed a new guest to dance with, her eyes wide, but her smile wider. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s just the first dance, and you’ve already been stared at by Tamaki, <em>and</em> you got some twin action? That’s hot, and I think a new record,” Emica giggled as they walked together to go get a drink. Reina gave her a small smile, but her thoughts were swirling. <em>He is gay… Right? They must have been thrown off by my correct assumption… Right? </em></p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>        Tamaki had been swamped with guests, especially as his dear host club members one by one began to leave into a backroom. Now, even guests who typically didn’t come to the club for him were adding themselves into the line just to be able to get a dance with him. Every once in a while, he would scan the room to make sure Reina was still there and hadn’t left yet. Most of the times he saw her, she was conversing with different girls, mostly with Emica by her side. <em>I have to give her at least one dance, or else I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. </em>Deep in both thought, and a simultaneous conversation with his current dance partner, he had yet to notice the two twins return, heading their way towards Reina. It wasn’t until he saw a quick flash of red hair and that beautiful lavender dress pass by the dancefloor that he caught the smirks of the twins pointed at him, before pulling the girl up the stairs and down a hall. Tamaki twirled his guest one more time as the song ended, and gave her a soft smile, before turning to the crowd of girls surrounding him. </p><p> </p><p>        “If you’ll excuse me ladies, I need to go find the rest of the men for you all. It wouldn’t be fair to keep you all to myself all night, though I wish I could,” he doted, which caused an overflow of screams and giggled through the girls. He gave a deep bow towards them, before bounding up the steps in a fury. <em>Where the hell is everyone, and why did they take Reina? I don’t trust those twins a bit. Especially not after that disgusting display they called a dance. </em>Tamaki walked until he heard the voices of the majority of his host club behind closed doors. He pushed the door open abruptly. “What are you all doing back here? You all should be attending to your guests,” he boomed, but was only really greeted with a big smile from Honey. </p><p> </p><p>        “Tama-Chan, doesn’t Haruhi look so cute?” He beamed. Haruhi turned herself around in the chair she was in, hair now long and wearing a soft blue dress. She had her makeup done now, and a little smile on her face. Tamaki had stopped in his tracks, a blush now spreading across his face. </p><p> </p><p>        “Yes, Haruhi, you look very cute,” he nodded, hands flying to his hips as he looked away from the scene. “Though the rest of you should be out there,” he quickly scolded, turning around the room, and face now dropping. “Where are the two devils?”</p><p> </p><p>        “If you’re referring to Hikaru and Kaoru, they were here a few minutes ago, but left. They said something about another plan of theirs, though wouldn’t tell it to anyone,” Kyoya explained, pressing his glasses up on his nose as he saw Tamaki’s red face shift from that of a blush, to one of anger. “But we have no time for that, Tamaki. You need to go get Kanako and lead her to the room where Haruhi will be meeting with Suzushima. We only have one shot to make this work, and you need to have a clear mind in order to pull it off.” Tamaki stared at his friend for another moment before sighing with a nod, and composed himself to the best of his abilities. He shot one more look at Haruhi, who was now standing and slightly wobbling in her heels. One last sigh left his lips, before bounding towards the hall once more to retrieve the princess of the night. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Night's Final Dances (13)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirteen</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you at least tell me why we’re hiding?” Reina asked, to which she got two boys shushing her, fingers to their lips, but also very close to her own face as they were all pressed up against one another. They stood, hiding against one of the concaves in a long hallway. “Sorry, but I’m just confused,” she whispered this time. The twins each shook their heads. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We already told you, you’ll see in a minute,” they whispered together, which signaled a sigh from Reina but she nodded, crossing her arms and leaning her back against the cold wall of the corridor. She laid her head back, staring at the ceiling, not much else for her to really do. Before long, the sound of heels clicking against the floor began to bound closer. They weren’t the stereotypical confident clicks Reina was used to hearing from someone she might consider an authority figure, it was clearly a student, who Reina guessed might be new to the type of shoes. The twins both grinned, and turned to Reina. “When we jump out, you stay here, but you can peek. All attention will be on us, okay?” They whispered, to which Reina simply nodded, her eyebrows furrowing. The brothers waited for the footsteps to get a little bit closer, before they linked arms and jumped out from the hiding spot. “Haruhi!” They yelled together, and Haruhi just blinked at the pair, eyes wide in a bit of panic. Reina peeked out from the corner, and her mouth dropped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait.. Haruhi is… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell was that for? You could have scared me really badly,” Haruhi yelled, glaring at the smiling twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We just wanted to wish you extra good luck with Suzushima,” Hikaru beamed, Kaoru placing his free hand on his hip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And let you know just how pretty you look,” Kaoru added, both twins lifting their linked arms in a thumbs up. Haruhi stared at them for another moment, before finally blinking and shaking her head, walking past them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well thanks, but I have stuff to do now,” she rolled her eyes, still struggling in her shoes. The twins moved their bodies with each of Haruhi’s steps, shielding Reina should Haruhi turn back around to look at them, but she never did. She slipped around the corner towards the designated room. Once she was out of sight, the twins both turned to see a shocked Reina, mouth still gaping as she stared back at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Haruhi is a girl,” Kaoru said, just to make sure there were no miscommunications this time. “Hikaru and I talked about it, and we figured, an eye for an eye. We know your little secret, and now you know the host club’s biggest secret.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Besides, it was starting to feel like some crucial information that you needed to know,” Hikaru added. Reina closed her mouth but just kept staring at the two. They each exchanged a sigh. “As funny as it was that you thought that, Tamaki isn’t gay.” Finally, as if being pulled out of trance, Reina seemed to come back to life and give them a firm nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for letting me know, I guess,” Reina nodded, shifting her weight back to one leg as she looked around the hallways. “Though somehow, the revelation seems to make everything more confusing.” The twins tilted their heads towards each other, waiting for a further answer to her words. “When you said he liked Haruhi, and I was under the impression that he was gay, it all seemed to make sense. He has a host club to hang out with a bunch of girls, he was really friendly and liked talking to me, even offering to take me out without actually calling it a date, it just all clicked with the narrative. I mean, he knows so well how to talk to women, so I kinda just figured it was because he was maybe a little more feminine? Even the whole matching thing too. When I thought he was gay, I did just think he was trying to be better friends.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And now?” They both asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And now, I have the words from someone else’s mouth swirling in my head, and I’d rather not repeat them to you, quite frankly. Not until I have everything sorted,” she sadly admitted, and though the twins both exchanged concerned looks, they nodded. “I should probably get back to my friends,” Reina said, but just as she was about to walk out from the hiding place they had created, an arm from each twin pinned her back against the wall, and with a free hand, they shushed her once more. With their conversation, the three had ignored the oncoming footsteps coming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like we’re stuck here for a few more,” Hikaru grumbled quietly as they all started to listen into the new conversation forming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are you taking me anyway, Tamaki?” A sultry voice came, and all three of their heads perked up to eavesdrop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’re quite suited to employ schemes, princess Kanako,” the recognizable Tamaki’s voice responded back. The twins each glanced over to Reina, but she was just silently listening in with an emotionless expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-what do you mean by that?” The girl asked, and the pair seemed to stop walking right behind their hiding place. The twins each pushed their bodies further into Reina, to try and be even more out of sight, though the couple didn’t seem to notice the three peepers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No matter how hard you try to get his attention by jumping from host to host, you always look the happiest when gazing into a teacup,” he said, turning to turn to the girl at his side. The six eyes took the opportunity to see what exactly the scene looked like. Kanako had completely stopped in her tracks and seemed to be deep in thought, eyes swelling with tears. Tamaki continued to walk Kanako down the hall, which shot the three red heads back into their original spots and watched as the two walked past them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No matter what I do, he just doesn’t seem to care,” the girl whispered, all three of the onlookers straining to hear her words. “Even this whole studying abroad thing, he made that decision without telling me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We all show love in different ways, princess,” Tamaki’s voice said, the last thing the three could hear before Tamaki and Kanako turned the corner where Haruhi had just gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are they all going to the same room?” Reina whispered, and each the twins nodded as they took a step back from her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how much longer we have to get back before the mess starts, so we’d better move quickly,” Kaoru informed, each of the twins taking one of Reina’s arms and dragging her further out into the hall. “So will we ever get to hear about those thoughts you were talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I can’t go spilling all of my secrets,” Reina mused, taking their arms and linking them with hers as they walked. It only took a few moments before a crying Kanako whipped past them, and a man yelling her name soon followed. The twins looked at each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, we don’t have any time left. The boss is gonna be pissed if he sees us with you,” Kaoru said. Hikaru let go of Reina and dashed across the hall to a classroom, checking to make sure it was unlocked before swinging it open and ushering Reina in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to get back to the hall right now. Give it five or ten minutes and you should be clear,” Hikaru said, grabbing the door handle to close her in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck!” They both sang, right before the door closed behind Reina. The twins each gave the other a devious smile, then continued their very slow stroll towards the hall. It only took a few minutes for Tamaki and Haruhi to catch up to them, but Haruhi continued on to change back into her original outfit as Tamaki halted to a stop. He grabbed each boy by the back of their collars and whipped them both around to see their evil little grins. “Hey boss, long time no see!” The two chimed, and Tamaki’s face went red with anger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you two doing? And where have you been?” He yelled, and each of the twins pulled their hands up in a quick defense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Hikaru simply said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And nowhere,” Kaoru finished, Tamaki’s face turning into an even larger scowl. “But we’re headed back to take on a few more guests before the queen of the night is announced! You should take a break, you’ve overworked yourself today, truly.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you were simply the king of the night. Really, you deserve a break!” Hikaru added as each of the twins took one of Tamaki’s arms and led him back the way they had just come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe classroom 620?” Kaoru offered, as they let go his arms and pushed him in that direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a good one, Kaoru, good thinking! Well boss, there’s about 15 minutes or less until the announcement, so we’ll see you then!” They both gave him a grin and a wave, before bolting down the hall towards the hall. Before entering, they gave each other a wink. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Phase three complete!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki tried to process what had just happened, before turning towards the classroom they had just pushed him towards. Silently, he stepped in front of it, slowly twisted the doorknob, and pushed the door open. Reina stood in the room, her body leaned against the wall with the windows, and she was looking out them. Her arms were crossed, and her leg was pushed out of the slit on her dress. The moonlight was cascading the side of her face as she looked up towards the night sky. Hearing the door open, Reina had made an assumption that the twins had come to gather her for some reason. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is the coast cle-” she was cut off once she turned her head to see the blushed Tamaki in the doorway. Her arms fell to her side, and she blinked, soon matching his color. “Hey.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he sort of chuckled, walking further into the room and giving her a short little smile. “What are you doing in here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiding, I think,” she said, not too sure what else to say. Tamaki nodded, and took another step towards her. She turned away from the window to look at him fully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I assumed that the twins pushed you in here, would I be correct?” Reina cracked a little smile at his question, then a little nod, and Tamaki sighed out loud. “Did they keep you in here long?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she quickly said. “They told me to come out after about five minutes, so I was just about to leave when you came in. But I wasn’t under the impression they would send you in,” she softly admitted. Tamaki took another step forward, their bodies now just a few inches apart, and he looked down to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m glad they did,” he smiled, before reaching out and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to speak with you all night. Or have a dance with you,” his sad voice rang. Reina felt shivers go through her body at his touch, and she gave him a nervous little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay! You were busy, I understand. I understood that you were gonna be busy before coming,” Reina said, her cheeks still a pale pink. </span>
  <em>
    <span>All his normal words seem more intimate now that I know he’s straight. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He moved his hand to cup her warm cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to prove you right, though,” his soft voice echoed in the empty room. “You look so beautiful tonight, Reina. Can I make it up to you with my next dance?” He asked, removing his hand from her cheek and reaching down to clasp hers. Reina looked down at their conjoined hands, trying not to make eye contact anymore. Before she could respond, he lifted the hand he had just clasped, placing her palm against his chest, but his own hand still held against hers. “I would wish for nothing more.” Reina looked up at him, eyes wide. Her hand planted against his chest was revealing more than she had figured thus far - he was nervous, and his heartbeat wasn’t hiding it in the least. She softly smiled and gave a quick nod. Tamaki gave her a grin as well, but it took him a few moments for him to remove her hand from his chest, placing them both back down to their sides, and intertwining his fingers in hers before leading her out of the classroom. “Wait, you said the twins put you in that room about five minutes ago? I saw them leave with you earlier than that, what were the three of you doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, talking mostly, I guess,” Reina lied, looking away in the other direction. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, what the hell else should I say? “We were listening into some other people’s lives that I have no part of, and sharing secrets I shouldn’t know in the first place”? That sure looks great on me, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina internally groaned. Tamaki turned his head towards her as they walked, pressing a single eyebrow up, but squeezing her hand a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it something private, or do you think I’ll be mad? I won’t be mad at you, Reina. I know anything that was said were those pesky twin’s faults,” he grumbled in the last part, which got a little bit of a laugh out of Reina, though she was still faced away. “Really though, you can tell me.” There was a really long pause before Reina sighed, turning to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you call me later? I don’t want to ruin the last of your night here. Even if you don’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>mad at me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I don’t really care to make you upset in any way, okay?” She sent him a little smile, and squeezed his hand. “Or even better, maybe the twins can explain it! Take me out of the equation altogether, I think that sounds great!” She offered, accompanied by some nervous laughs. They stopped in front of the double doors that led into the hall, and Tamaki turned to face her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, I won’t worry about it right now,” Tamaki smiled, lifting her hand to his lips and planting a soft kiss on the backside of it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I can help it, at least, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought as he squeezed her hand once more before using his free hand to push one of the two doors open. Eyes from all over the room landed on the two, but each of them tried their best to ignore the watching girls as they headed down the steps together, towards the dancefloor, just as the final song was being announced. The men of the room picked their last guests of the night to share the song with. Luckily, every girl in the room had at least gotten one turn, so the boys weren’t disappointing any ladies. Not fully, anyway. Tamaki led Reina into the middle of the dancefloor and placed his free hand on her hip, keeping their intertwined hands together. He shot her a quick smile as they began to dance. Reina glanced around the room shortly and saw so many more eyes on her compared to when she had been dancing with the twins. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Strangely, I feel no jealousy being sent my way. I would have thought in a room full of girls seemingly in love with these guys, they’d be mad to have their host taken away from them,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought, before turning Tamaki, who had been watching her with a smile the whole time. He let go of her waist to twirl her, and just as he was bringing her back, she let go of his hand and slid her arms around his neck. A bit taken back, he took a moment before smiling and wrapping his own arms around her waist, hands touching the skin of her lower back with the way her dress cutout. The couple heard a few excited gasps and giggles make their way through the crowd of girls, but the majority of them just watched in amazement. Reina rested her head against Tamaki’s collarbone, then peeked up at him through her bangs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was kind of experimental,” she admitted quietly to Tamaki, intertwining her fingers together behind his neck, loosening her arms around him slightly. “None of them looked jealous, and I guess I’m a little surprised. Do they tend to get jealous when another girl gets your attention?” Reina asked, and Tamaki let out a low little chuckle. One of his thumbs was subconsciously rubbing against her skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes,” he nodded, leaning down to rest his chin against the top of her hair. “What an interesting concept though. Were you trying to make them jealous?” Reina giggled a little, and shrugged her shoulders just enough for him to feel the movement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gotta make things interesting, you know how it is,” Reina teased, thinking back to the event that she had accidentally watched unfold earlier with the twins. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder what happened with that girl, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought semi-sadly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope she actually wanted to be followed by that guy. I’m assuming the hosts would have stepped in had she not wanted that. Maybe. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki chuckled again, his thumb still stroking her back, and he gave a little nod into her hair. He knew the song was going to end much sooner than he had wanted, so he took that opportunity to pull her body a bit closer to his own, pressing his nose into her hair and closing his eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I only have a few more seconds left. I don’t know when I’ll get this opportunity again,</span>
  </em>
  <span> his mind admitted, closing his eyes even tighter as they swayed together. Tamaki had been right, after about twenty seconds, the song ended, and there wasn’t another to replace it. That was the end. The girls all gave a quick, but loud, applause to commemorate the dancing potion of the evening. The girls began to file outside, where they all knew that the queen of the night would be crowned. Reina was the first one to pull apart from her dance partner, pulling her arms back, but resting her hands on his shoulders for a moment as he lifted his head from hers. Their eyes met, and Reina gave him a soft smile. He copied her movements, pulling his arms back just enough to place his hands around her waist now instead of behind her. “Thanks for the dance, Mister Suoh,” she tried to joke, but her voice was a little shaky, and it came out way less teasingly than she had anticipated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope I made it up to you, being so absent earlier in the evening,” he all but whispered, finally pulling his hands from her body. She mirrored him, pulling her own hands off of him. One hand went to tap her chin for a quick moment, a smirk crept on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re even now,” she said, then looked behind him to see the majority of the host club already walking up the grand stairs to make their way to the balcony outside. “You’d better get going, I think you have a queen to go kiss.” Tamaki turned around to see the boys all about halfway up the steps, though Kyoya was waiting at the bottom for Tamaki. He nodded slightly then turned to Reina, giving her a smile before jogging over to meet Kyoya, and they both began their climb. Reina turned around to see Emica waiting for her at the door, eyebrows about as high as they could go in a large grin. Reina rolled her eyes a little bit, but rushed over to the door to meet her there, knowing that the last few minutes would be the talk of the rest of the night. Or, so she thought. The girls linked arms as Emica started in immediate conversation, leading Reina to the large group of girls patiently waiting at the bottom of the balcony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Tamaki and Kyoya finally made it outside, Tamaki had two pairs of eyes locked on him. The twins were leaning against the railing of the balcony, arms wrapped around each other, and clearly had been awaiting his arrival. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” they both said together. Tamaki let out a groan, and moved past them to get to the edge of the railing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Later, we’re speaking,” was all he mumbled, flashing a smile to the large crowd of girls, all looking up at the club from below. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re already in place, Tama-Chan!” Honey beamed, to which Tamaki nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ladies and gentlemen,” Tamaki announced, which got any attention that wasn’t already on him. “As the hosts inside concluded with their own final dance, we have one more in store for you. We left the last dance of the night to Princess Kanako and her prince.” On cue, as he said those words, a spotlight flashed to the outdoor dance floor that had been set up. Almost every girl in the crowd began to gush and dote on the pair, watching as Suzushima asked for Kanako to join him in a dance. Everyone watched in silence as the couple made their way towards one another, and as the music played, the two began to waltz with passion flowing from them both. Tamaki leaned onto the railing, his forearms supporting him as he watched the couple from above. He could see the love on both their faces. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder what everyone else saw when they saw me dancing with the other ladies. Did I look the same with every dance partner I had tonight? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought for an extra moment, his eyes moving across the crowd to see Reina and Emica leaning against one another, tired smiles on both their faces as they watched the couple in the middle of the crowd. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I felt different in each dance, but did it look that way? </span>
  </em>
  <span>His eyes remained on Reina, who was letting out a little yawn at the time. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was everyone able to see how different I felt in my last dance? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Before long, Tamaki realized that the song was coming to an end, and he quickly regained his standing position and a new smile grew across his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let us bless this awkward couple!” Tamaki announced, to which the crowd - hosts included - let out their cheers and applause. Both Kanako and Suzushima blushed up, but looked up at each other and smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And with that, it’s come time to announce our queen for the night!” Hikaru yelled, turning to his brother for him to give the final results. Kaoru stepped forward, grinning widely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Princess Kanako!” Kaoru called out, to which the crowd let on another wave of cheers. “And our kiss from the king,” Kaoru started, his smile shifting to a devious little smirk. Tamaki pushed his hair back, giving a grin, his legs just about to turn towards the steps, when the next words stopped him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Has been changed to a kiss from Haruhi Fujioka!” Hikaru exclaimed, shooting a grin to the newly disgruntled Tamaki. The girls watched as both parties looked a little hesitant, but after two quick conversations, one on ground level and from one above, the two began to take steps to meet up with each other. Tamaki watched, conflicted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>On one hand, I really don’t want Haruhi kissing anyone. But on the other, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he glanced over to Reina, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think I could imagine kissing another person tonight.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the other end of the crowd, Reina’s head was also swirling. She was smiling, and matching the excited energy of the others around her, but she felt sad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Poor Tamaki. Now that I know that Haruhi is a girl, I’m fairly certain that he does like her, and now he has to watch this.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Both of them almost missed the slip while stuck in their own thoughts, but both Tamaki and Reina’s expressions soon became identical the moment Haruhi’s lips smashed into Kanako’s. Both of them stared with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. The crowd all gasped, but as the two sheepishly pulled apart, the loudest cheers from the whole night rang through the night sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before long, the girls began to calm, and the night was coming to an end. The hosts had moved to the exit of the hall and was wishing everyone a well evening, as well as thanking them for attending. Slowly, the crowd of girls leaving turned into a small little trail. Tamaki kept his eyes peeled on the door, waiting to see Reina. Finally, she waved goodbye to a small group of girls who were waiting inside for their rides to arrive, and headed towards the door and the group of hosts. Tamaki took a step forward, and held a hand out for her. Reina gave him a smile, taking his, expecting a kiss on the back of her hand, but instead he tugged her over to another side of the hall. Confused, she blinked at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you enjoy yourself?” Tamaki asked, keeping her hand in his. She smiled and nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did, though I do have a complaint,” she said, giving him a teasing smirk. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. “Don’t get me wrong, I think that final dance was beautiful, but I think I might have given the best dance of the night.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so, my princess?” Tamaki mused, smiling down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is. Do you know just how hard it is to dance with two twins at the same time?” She asked, and Tamaki quickly grimaced. Reina let out a laugh and shook her head. “Kidding.” He shook his head a little, looking down at their hands as he let out a little breath, finding at least some amusement in her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I brought you over here because I have a promise to fulfill,” he grinned, looking back up at her. She cocked her head at him. “Pull out your phone, let's take that picture.” Reina thought back to just the day before, when he had put his number in her phone and like he had said, he did promise a photo with her for the contact picture. She laughed a bit, but did as she was told. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, but your arms are longer, so you have to do it,” she said, handing her phone over. He took it from her and as he opened the camera app, a shaky photo was presented to him. He looked at it in curiosity, so Reina leaned over his shoulder and laughed again. “Oh, that’s that guy from last night! The one that was staring at us! Creepy, right?” Tamaki studied the photo for another moment, before his eyes widened slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Something about this man, and his clothing, I recognize him. But from where? I doubt it’s what I think it is. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He quickly shook the thought from his head as he exited back out to get to the actual camera, pulling Reina in front of him so he could easily get both of them in the photo. Tamaki leaned down, their heads almost side by side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’m taking two. Are you ready?” He asked. Reina nodded, pushing a small smile on her face, tilting her head into his to get her good angle. “One, two, three,” he said before clicking. “And the second. One, two, three,” he said, and right as he said three, he turned his head to press his lips against her cheek. Reina’s small smile quickly turned to a big one, her nose even scrunching a little. Her eyes peeked over at Tamaki, and he couldn’t help but smile a little as he snapped the photo. He let his hand drop, then pulled his lips away. “Maybe it’s a little biased, but I do think you gave the best dance of the night. I wanted to give you your stolen prize.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Interrogations (14)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u"> Chapter Fourteen </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Tamaki had escorted Reina out to her car, and by the time he got back in, all the girls had left. Now, all the boys had left to do was wait until the help that they had hired were done cleaning, then they were to lock up the hall, and then they were free to go. Tamaki dismissed Haruhi, Mori, and Honey to go home, so those three quickly gathered their belongings and left. He spotted Kyoya sitting at a table on his own, so he decided to interrogate him first. <em> I have a lot of questions to get through tonight, and I have three culprits. Scratch that, I have one person to ask a question to, and two idiot culprits.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Kyoya, did you send out any orders yesterday?” Tamaki questioned as he approached the table that Kyoya sat at, once again on his laptop. </p><p> </p><p>“If you’re referring to my police force, then yes, I did. I figured that you might like a peace of mind, knowing that she was safe and that everything went smoothly,” Kyoya responded, not yet looking up from his typing. “Though she made it a pain for everyone after her and her date taunted the first officer, and we had to send out a backup as quick as possible, since his cover had been blown.” </p><p> </p><p>“How could you do that without consulting me first?” Tamaki demanded. “That’s an invasion of privacy, <em> especially </em>since you didn’t ask me about it first.” Kyoya sighed, glancing up for a moment. </p><p> </p><p>“So do you want to hear the summary email they sent me, or would you prefer I trashed it out of principle?” He asked, voice dull. He already knew the answer. Tamaki stared at him for a long moment, before sitting across from him without another word, waiting to hear what Kyoya had in front of him. With a quick eye roll, Kyoya pulled the email up, and skimmed it quickly to review what information he would keep to himself and what he was willing to share with the man in front of him. “It seems like it went like a normal date might. He picked her up, and they went to an upscale restaurant. It seems like the majority of their time at the restaurant talking about their theatre class. He paid for dinner, then they went to go get ice cream, where she paid,” Tamaki grimaced immediately, but Kyoya allowed no time for him to go on a tirade. “They took a walk, so our second officer followed closely behind,” he said, reading further into the email. There was a section that talked about the conversation they had about Tamaki and the host club, but Kyoya withheld that information. “She seemed to let him down easy in a subtle way, and told him that she wasn’t looking for anything serious.” </p><p> </p><p>“With him?” Tamaki asked, watching Kyoya closely. </p><p> </p><p>“The exact words that our officer reported back with where that high school relationships would never work out for her, because she’s never sure when her next move will be.” </p><p> </p><p>“Do those host programs just send their participants at random times?” Tamaki asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Kyoya shook his head. </p><p> </p><p>“That decision is made within the family of the participant. So what it seems like, is that Reina has no say in when she moves, but her parents seem to,” Kyoya concluded. Tamaki slumped back in his chair, and thought back to when he was moving to Japan. Even then, he was given a choice. <em> It was an obvious choice, but a choice nonetheless. Are they not giving her a choice? </em> Tamaki wondered. “They drove around for a little bit. The officer reported that he had to break a few laws to keep up with Hiroto’s driving, but he managed. Hiroto drove her home, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and left. That’s all I have for you. Though, the point wasn’t really for information, but more for your peace of mind.” <em> Though, I’m definitely interested to read into this conversation about the host club a little further in depth, </em> Kyoya thought to himself. Tamaki nodded a little bit, then looked around. He saw the twins laying across the steps, and he groaned out of frustration, remembering everything they had done in the night. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re free to head home, Kyoya,” Tamaki said as he stood. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, but I think I’d rather listen into this conversation,” he said, packing up his items from the table and standing as well. Tamaki had no argument, so the two headed up the steps to meet the two twins. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, start talking,” Tamaki demanded, met with two groans. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re tired, boss, can’t you try to intimidate us later?” Hikaru complained, to which Tamaki simply crossed his arms and shook his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen, we saved your ass,” Kaoru said, now propping himself up on one of the steps to be in more of a reclined sitting position, placing his legs across Hikaru, who remained in the lying position he was comfortably in. “There was another minor miscommunication, so we fixed it.” </p><p> </p><p>“And what kind of miscommunication may that be?” Tamaki scowled. The twins exchanged looks, before Hikaru sighed. </p><p> </p><p>“We may have let it slip to her the day she came into the host club to pay Kyoya that we thought you may have a crush on Haruhi,” Kaoru admitted, and Tamaki’s eyes quickly grew wide. His stomach sank immediately, and in his head, everything made sense. </p><p> </p><p>“So she felt rejected, then? Is that why she finally decided to go on another date? And why she wouldn’t go on a date with me?” Tamaki pondered aloud. Both the twins looked at each other once more, before covering their mouths to hold back the mountain of laughter trying to force itself through. Tamaki was pulled out of his thoughts by their antics. </p><p> </p><p>“No, not exactly,” Hikaru breathily said, closing his eyes tightly to hold back as hard as he could. Kaoru was the first to break, doubling down in laughter, falling back over to lay on the step. Tamaki watched, horror creeping into his system. <em> What could be worse than me making her feel rejected? </em>As if unable to keep it in any longer, Kaoru burst out. </p><p> </p><p>“She thought you were gay, boss!” He yelled out, pushing the twins into an even more delirious state of howling laughter. Tamaki’s eyes widened and he immediately paled. “I mean, she didn’t know Haruhi was a girl! So she - I can’t,” he interrupted, to handle another rough wave of laughs. Hikaru wiped some tears. </p><p> </p><p>“She gave us some real good points, I’m even starting to question your sexuality,” Hikaru managed to get out, low chuckles falling out of his mouth every so often. </p><p> </p><p>“So, let me get this straight,” Kyoya cut in, which made the laughter subside immediately. “Reina thought Tamaki was gay, so you fixed it. I believe we need to know how you fixed it.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, about that,” Kaoru started, scratching the back of his neck. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t tell me you told her that Haruhi is actually a female,” Kyoya warned, and Hikaru sat up to look at him. </p><p> </p><p>“Even better, we showed her. With Haruhi dressing up as a girl for Suzushima, it seemed like the best option at the time,” Hikaru quickly defended. Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a little sigh. </p><p> </p><p>“You two really are idiots, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s not gonna tell anyone. When she mentioned the whole Tamaki being gay thing, we obviously were shocked,” Kaoru explained. </p><p> </p><p>“We think that she thought that we had expected her to out the boss or something, because she quickly said that she wasn’t going to tell anyone. We trust her,” Hikaru said, as both twins shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>“So now, instead of her thinking that Tamaki likes a male Haruhi, she’s now under the impression that he likes a female Haruhi, right?” Kyoya asked, pointing out the obvious, but it seemed like that part had just dawned on them both. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I guess so. But that’s better then thinking he’s gay, right?” Hikaru tried, turning to Tamaki to gauge his expression, but the man who had just stood in front of them had practically turned into a statue, staring forward with no emotion on his face. “Damn, I think we broke him.” </p><p> </p><p>“Is there anything else I should know about?” Kyoya asked, flipping open his notebook and already began to take notes down. </p><p> </p><p>“She did say something weird,” Kaoru nodded. “We kinda asked her what she was thinking about, and she said something about how she was thinking about what someone else had told her.” </p><p> </p><p>“But refused to elaborate,” Hikaru added. <em> So, sending in my police force did turn out to benefit. I’m sure that there’s a correlation to that conversation I decided to keep to myself, </em>Kyoya realized, but simply jot it down. Hikaru turned again to Tamaki, who was still just staring forward, so Hikaru jumped up and waved a hand in front of his face. “Seriously, are you okay, Tamaki? Blink twice if you can hear me.” </p><p> </p><p>“Why did you stick her in that classroom?” Tamaki quietly asked, though made no movements, including no blinks. </p><p> </p><p>“That was our little treat to you, sir,” Kaoru mused, with a bow. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it worked, didn’t it?” Hikaru rolled his eyes. Finally, snapping out of his trance, Tamaki’s face grew red with anger. </p><p> </p><p>“And what the hell was with that dance you two gave her? You both touched her so inappropriately, I wanted to rip myself from my guest and beat both your skulls in!” Tamaki yelled, to which both twins now responded with an eye roll. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on boss, we saw your dance with her, too. You’re not innocent either,” Kaoru pointed out, which only made Tamaki angrier. </p><p> </p><p>“We didn’t even do that on purpose. We were asking her questions about you, she didn’t want everyone watching to hear her ‘gay’ accusation, so she had to get us both close enough for her to whisper,” Hikaru added in. </p><p> </p><p>“She’s dense, but not stupid. She knew that little act would get enough people talking, and her voice wouldn’t be heard over the crowd,” Kaoru nodded. Tamaki took a step back, taking a deep breath to compose himself. As he turned, he noticed the cleaning crew all heading towards the door. He looked around, and noticed that their job was done. </p><p> </p><p>“Get out of here. I’m locking up and going home,” Tamaki said, walking down the steps to gather his belongings. Kyoya snapped his notebook shut, then turned his attention to the twins who were standing up. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll need to inform Haruhi that someone else knows about her secret. I would do it, but since you did this little stunt without consulting me, I’m leaving it to you,” he informed them before turning and walking down the steps, and quickly out the double doors. The twins let out a soft groan, but hurried down the steps, and they too left. Tamaki bundled all of his items up, grabbed the provided keys the school had given him, and locked up after walking out. He let out a long, frustrated sigh now that nobody was around. Bounding off towards his car, he wanted to get home as soon as possible. He climbed into the last car waiting in the lot, and felt like he could finally relax. He set all of his items on the seat next to him, and pulled out his phone. His text notification was blinking, so he opened it up. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Reina: 2 attachments  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> :)  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>In an instant, his mood shifted upon looking at the two pictures he and Reina had taken just before he left. Without even really thinking, he dialed her number and pressed the phone to his ear. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, everything okay?” Reina asked as soon as she answered, some concern tracing her voice. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, everything’s fine. What are you doing right now?” He asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Eh, I just walked into the house after this really cool dance I went to. But you probably don’t want to hear about it. Why, what’s up?” </p><p> </p><p>“You must be pretty tired after an event like that. Are you allowed to have guests over? I’ll bring you some coffee,” Tamaki offered, his driver listening in and beginning to take route to a coffee shop that he knew would still be open at this hour. </p><p> </p><p>“Am I allowed to have some guy over, on a Saturday, at sleeping hours? I don’t know, let me check,” she said. Tamaki initially thought she was joking, until he could hear her start having a conversation with someone else. “Sora said it’s fine, so you’re in luck. Unless you were joking, but something tells me you’re not.” </p><p> </p><p>“I would never joke about that, my princess. Text me your order and your address and I should be over in about twenty minutes.” </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. With a Lot of Freedom (15)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifteen </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina stared at her phone for a moment after they had hung up. She had just walked through the door when Tamaki had called, and Sora was conveniently still having her tea at the table. Sora was grinning at her from across the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just cannot wait until you get to tell me everything, my dear,” she grinned, finishing the last of her tea. Reina finished sending Tamaki the text before putting her phone away and looking over to Sora. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I must be overthinking that phone call. Why does he want to come see me?  We just saw each other. And I’m tired, so I know that he has to be exhausted,” Reina pointed out. She sighed quickly, before turning back to her phone and pulling up the two photos from the party. “I can at least tease you with these, until I can tell you everything,” she smiled, handing the phone over to Sora who let out a little squeal of excitement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Precious! Just so darling,” she doted, stuck on the second photo, before handing the phone back. “Do you plan to keep the dress on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not. So now I need to go find something to wear that isn’t exactly pajamas, but definitely isn’t this either,” she huffed, looking down at herself. Sora gave her a small smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m probably a bad influence,” Sora admitted. “But like I said before, I had sons, and I would much prefer you be safe and honest then lying and in trouble. If you need anything, and I mean anything, the on staff driver can also make a trip to the store for you. You know, should you need anything.” Reina quickly shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re just going to be hanging out, I promise,” she assured, cheeks flaming </span>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, I think</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Reina thought to herself, but shook the thought away abruptly. “But I will keep that in mind, in case I ever do need something. Thank you. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow, I promise. My schedule is clear, so anytime,” Reina smiled, before heading up to her room. She began to rummage through her closet, but with a sigh, couldn’t find much. Finally, she just decided to text Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: Are you going to change before you come over?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: I just got to my house to do exactly that!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: We both just saw each other looking cute, can we make a deal? Pajamas? Or at least something comfy. I can’t find the energy to compete to look cuter than you </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: No matter what you were to put on, I think you would beat me out. But I can definitely agree to something comfortable </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina smiled a little before stripping out of her dress, neatly hanging it back into her closet, and pulling out a faded hoodie and a pair of black pajama shorts. She pulled the clothes on quickly, then moved over to her vanity to take her makeup off. She watched herself in the mirror, as the makeup was wiped clean without a trace. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I should have kept that on</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought, looking at the slight bags that had built under her eyes after the long 24 hours she had just gone through. With a sigh, she shrugged. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Too late, I’m not putting it back on. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for her to receive the text that he was here, so she put on her slippers and quickly made her way down to the door. As she opened it, she saw a beaming Tamaki standing in front of her. He was wearing a plain white shirt and sweatpants. In one hand, he held a drink carrier with two coffee cups, holding it from the bottom like a server would hold a tray. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably the cutest delivery man I’ve ever seen,” she mused, opening the door wider for him to come in. He chuckled as he walked in and kicked off his shoes. Next to the door, a men’s pair of slippers had been laid out, obviously arranged by Sora, so Tamaki slipped them on as Reina closed the door behind him. She led him past the foyer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The house is beautiful,” he admired, looking around as they walked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can definitely tell that they own an art museum,” Reina nodded. “The design in here is magnificent.” Tamaki smiled, but skidded to a stop as Reina approached the stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, where are we going?” He asked. Reina turned to look at him, blinking a few times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My room? My little piece of sanctuary?” She joked, but Tamaki still didn’t move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Am I allowed in there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m given quite a bit of freedom here,” she blushed up again, remembering what Sora had just said to her. “I can tell you later.” He looked hesitant, but nodded, and continued to follow her up the steps. He had glanced up at her for a moment, but realizing that she was in front of him, wearing shorts, his gaze pushed down towards the coffees in his hand. Reina led him down the hall to her room, pushing it open and ushering him in with a cheesy smile. “Welcome, sir.” He walked in and looked around, setting the coffees down on the vanity as Reina shut the door behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting,” he mused out loud. She glanced up at him as she made her way to the bed, sitting on one side of it, back against the headboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s interesting?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing’s wrong with it, but it’s just much plainer than I imagined,” Tamaki admitted, taking a further look around. Reina gave a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep, it’s my little glorified hotel room,” she joked, looking around with him. He pulled their coffees out of the drink carrier, handing hers to Reina, then moved over to the other side of the bed and sat in the same position as she was, up against the headboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess with how well traveled you are, I was expecting tons of memorabilia all around,” he said, turning to look at her. She pulled the drink stopper out from the lid of the cup and set it over on her nightstand, shrugging a little, then turning to look at him as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t get to bring much luggage when I come back and forth. There are some things that I have back at my original house, but not really,” she explained, pulling her knees up to her chest as she took a drink of her coffee. He nodded a little, understanding a bit more, then looking around more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should decorate it,” he decided out loud. She glanced over at him again, and smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want to. But I’m not going to force you to help me with that. Really, I don’t mind it. I get way less distracted in a room like this when I’m doing homework and stuff.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should enjoy the space you’re in, not just be okay with it,” he told her, looking around and a grin forming. “It’s decided, we’re gonna make this room amazing!” Reina kept looking at him with a smile, and finally, she gave him a single, determined nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Tamaki. That’ll be fun,” she grinned, then looked back down at her cup. “So, I’m not complaining. But why did you want to come over? I have to imagine that you’re exhausted, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got a second wind of energy, I guess.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well you’re about to get a third,” she laughed, reaching over and tapping his cup. He gave the cup a little shake before taking a huge drink, which made Reina laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about what you meant, by you get a lot of freedom here,” Tamaki prodded, shifting his body to face Reina. She set her coffee down on her nightstand and turned to do the same, the side of her head now pressed against the headboard, knees still hugged to her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not sure how much I’ve really told you about Sora. She has three sons, all who moved out. So I think she really enjoys hearing about my days and dramas and stuff, so we have coffee and tea every night,” Reina prefaced, to which Tamaki nodded. “She’s told me a few times that raising boys, she realized that kids will typically rebel when given too strict of rules, so her logic is that since I’m honest, I can be trusted. Which means that with less rules, I’m probably bound to not do such bad things.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does that actually work?” He asked, and Reina quickly nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely. I got in the most trouble in my last house I was at. My host parents wanted me to go to school and come home. No friends, no guys, nothing. So I would do a lot of things just because I wasn’t allowed.” Tamaki’s eyes widened a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t picture you acting out,” he admitted. “Like what kinds of things are we talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I’m not normally one to act out,” she nodded. “What I did is a different story for a much different day. Anyway, I would act out I think because by implementing such strict rules from the getgo felt like a personal attack, as if they expected me to act that way, which is why strict parenting doesn’t really work.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t really have many rules either, but I always kind of figured that was because I don’t do much wrong,” Tamaki said, thinking about it for a moment. “I guess maybe there is a correlation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I definitely think that there is,” Reina nodded a little. “So anyway, after I asked if you could come over, Sora told me that if I needed to send a driver off to the store to pick us up anything, they could. You know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she said. As soon as Tamaki realized what she was saying, his cheeks turned pink. “Yeah, I definitely did that too,” she laughed, referring to his blush, which made it go an even deeper pink. “I obviously told her that wouldn’t be needed, but I won’t be surprised if I come into my room at some point and find a box of condoms waiting on the bed for me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about your host dad?” Tamaki asked. Reina opened her mouth to answer, but as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned around to look at the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come in?” She said, her voice laced with seven different tones of confusion. The door crept open, and Saito stood in the doorway. “Oh, uh, hi. Sora knows that he’s over,” she defended really quickly. Saito looked over to Tamaki, then back to Reina, and gave a quick smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t realize you had company! That’s okay, you’re allowed to, don’t get scared. I’ll come back later,” he smiled, giving a bow then closing the door behind him. Reina stared back at the door for a second, then turned back to Tamaki and held a singular finger up to keep him quiet for a moment. Reina waited until the footsteps finally subsided, before turning back to Tamaki, confusion written all over her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was just about to say I’ve only seen him once. But make that twice, I guess,” she slowly said, glancing back at the door. “I thought maybe he was coming in because he saw your shoes at the door, but he said he didn’t know I had company, so now I’m extra confused.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing he never came to your door at night when you met him the first time, right?” Tamaki asked, also taking glances back at the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not,” she shook her head. After a moment of silence, she shrugged. “That was weird, but whatever. I mean, he seems nice enough, from the two little encounters I’ve had with him. I think Sora deserves a husband that isn’t as absent. She seems lonely,” Reina admitted. “But, I’m definitely not in their relationship, so I can’t judge either of them or their marriage.” Tamaki nodded, setting his own drink on the nightstand on his side, before sitting up and crossing his legs, facing Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I talked to the twins,” he finally spit out. Reina hugged her knees a little closer, resting her chin on top of them and giving a little nod. “Did you really think I was gay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I didn’t have much else I could have thought,” she defended. “Gay or at least bisexual, I guess. Because my first instinct when three of your friends were confirming that you had a crush on a guy, wasn’t to wonder if that guy was actually a girl, you know?” He nodded a little bit. “But it’s not like I cared, I would have been friends with you either way. It didn’t matter to me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you just ask me?” He asked. Reina gave him a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you hadn’t told me about your crush, your friends did. If your friends had accidentally outed you, I didn’t want to make it a big thing. If you had been gay, and I had asked you about it when you didn’t want me knowing, it could have really stressed you out,” she explained, looking down at her bedspread. “You really didn’t know me well, and probably still don’t. You wouldn’t have known if I was going to go tell the whole school or something like that. Of course, I wouldn’t, but I have no reason to plant stress in your mind over something I shouldn’t even really know. Same goes with Haruhi, I would never tell anyone, so if nobody told her that I knew, it probably would keep her mind at ease, you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can understand all of that,” Tamaki finally concluded, with a few nods, then looking back up at her. “I don’t like Haruhi, by the way. I mean, I don’t have a crush on her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t tell me that. Tell your friends,” she laughed, holding her hands up in defense. “You can like whoever you want, Tamaki. I’m here for you, no matter who it is,” she grinned. He let a little chuckle out, and shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kaoru was right. She’s smart, but she really is dense. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He leaned forward, brushed the bangs off her forehead, and planted a soft kiss there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Reina,” he softly whispered, lips still pressed against her forehead, before pulling away to see a pair of soft green eyes and pink cheeks looking up at him. “I do have another question though,” he said, returning to his sitting position, and Reina gave him a soft nod. “The twins mentioned something, they said you made a comment after they told you that I wasn’t gay. Something about how you were thinking about what someone had told you. What was that?” Reina sat for a long moment, trying to think about her next words, but nothing came to mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s gonna hurt your feelings, so I don’t want to talk about it,” she said simply, reaching over and taking another drink of her coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I promise, I won’t let it hurt my feelings,” he said, holding one hand up in an oath. Reina laughed a little, but narrowed her eyes a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll tell you a partial amount. I won’t tell you who said it, and I won’t tell you most of the context, but I’ll tell you enough to let you in on why I thought about it. But you have to promise you won’t have hurt feelings, and you have to promise that if I tell you, you won’t say that your feelings aren’t hurt, then leave right away,” she said, holding a pinky out. “If it truly doesn’t hurt your feelings, and you want further details, I’ll tell you another day.” Tamaki reached forward and wrapped his pinky around hers, giving a big nod, eyes locking with hers. “Fine. I was told by someone, not to expect anything out of you. The person said that you led girls on, and that if I were to pursue anything, I would end up hurt.” Tamaki stared at her, blinking a few times, before slowly nodding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Feelings aren’t hurt,” he said, shaking their pinkies one more time before letting go. He sat for another moment, then stretched and stood. He was trying to conceal a smirk. “Alright, I think I’m gonna go home now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamakiiiii,” Reina whined, dropping her head into her knees. “You promised!” He finally let out a little laugh, sitting back on the bed, this time closer to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just kidding, I’m not leaving yet,” he softly told her. Reina lifted her head again, giving him a little smile. She leaned herself over closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder softly. “Now my feelings aren’t necessarily hurt, but I do wholeheartedly disagree. Why was it that you thought of that?” Reina sighed, just as his arm slid around her waist to get himself more comfortable in their new position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. If what that person had said was correct, then it would have made sense that you didn’t want to actually date any of the girls that you talked to. Because if you had been gay, then you would have just been being friendly, right?” She asked, peering up at him through her bangs. “So I guess when it was confirmed that you were straight, my theory went out the window that I was using to justify that person’s words. So then I had to figure out on my own whether to trust this person’s word or not.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And do you?” There was a pause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that you’re a naturally flirty person, and others could misinterpret words and actions to fit the narrative they want to see. Feelings are complex, and it’s not as easy as that unfortunately. I wish it was,” she admitted. “I wish I could easily say ‘that person was lying’, or ‘Tamaki leads girls on’, but I don’t think either could ever be true. I don’t think you’re a bad person, in fact I think you’re an amazing person, Tamaki. But feelings are valid, and if someone felt led on and another didn’t, but you said the exact some things to both, it’s because their expectations and perceptions were different. Does that make sense?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think so,” Tamaki nodded, resting his head on top of hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not used to deep conversations in Japanese yet,” she laughed. “Once you learn English, I’ll speak in all three of our joined languages to get everything across.” Tamaki laughed a bit, but he was still trying to process everything that she had said to him. He let out a little yawn midthought, and Reina looked up at him. “I was mostly joking about you not being able to leave. If you’re tired, you can go home to sleep.” Quickly, Tamaki shook his head, glancing up at the door again. Something about the earlier encounter felt off to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was such a  slim chance that I was here, and I’m glad I was. I don’t know if anything was going to happen, but it felt weird. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m okay, promise,” he said, holding out his pinky again. Reina laughed, but wrapped her pinky around his once more. They sat like that for a few moments, pretty wrapped around each other, all the way from their pinkies to Tamaki’s arm. Finally, Reina sat up and looked at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to watch a movie?” She asked, and he gave her a smile and a nod. She moved away from him, his arm dropping onto the mattress, and a sudden loneliness loomed over Tamaki as she walked across the room to get her laptop. “I normally listen to movies in English, so you’ll just have to give me a few minutes to find something that’s in Japanese.” After a few minutes, she clicked on a cartoon that was in Japanese. She set the laptop closer to the foot of the bed, close enough to where they could see it clearly, but far enough to still give them leg room. She pressed play before walking over and turning the lights off. To Tamaki’s surprise, Reina came back over, and reclaimed her previous position with her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm back around her and settled into her and the headboard, leaning his head back on top of hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>About halfway through the movie, Reina looked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I were to lay on you, would you be okay with that?” She asked. His cheeks flushed a little, but he gave a little nod. “If I fall asleep, just wake me up when you’re ready to go home,” she said, moving away from his grasp and settling into him, her head falling onto the top of his thigh, and she draped her arm across his lap. His eyes widened a little, worried of her feeling something with her arm in that position, so he quickly adjusted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you mind if I laid, as well?” He asked. She lifted her head, looking at him, and gave him a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind. Do you think you’re going to fall asleep?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I may. Would that be pushing your freedom too far?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I doubt it,” she said, then pat the bed next to her, giving him a grin. He adjusted to lay himself next to her. Her head fell onto his chest, pieces of her hair falling back against his collarbone and neck. He reached under her, wrapping his arm around her tightly, and Reina once again draped hers around him, though now it was across his stomach. He leaned down and pressed his nose into her hair like he had earlier that night, closing his eyes, no longer concerned about the movie. “Is this also something that the dance winner receives, a night with the king?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is. But I have to admit, it was rigged,” he softly chuckled, his hand reaching up to play with her hair. “I was always going to end up here, no matter the results.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good to know,” Reina mused, a little yawn escaping her lips. Soon, her arm grew heavier on his stomach as she fell off into sleep. Tamaki’s eyes wandered, looking around at the scene that laid in front of him. His hand moved from her hair back down to her back as he pressed his hand against the fabric pushed against her skin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t expect any of this to happen when I woke up. Or when I saw her in that dance. Especially not when the twins gave me the rundown on the behind the scenes of the night. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He looked at her arm that was across him again, before letting out a little sigh of relief and settled in more, resting his cheek against the top of her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m glad it did, though.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The New Position (16)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A/N: I reread this chapter in preparation to post it, and I realized it's honestly all fluff, and it's pretty short. ): I tried to add some more pieces but it all felt forced. So I'm going to post chapter 17 a little later tonight. If you catch this chapter before 17 comes out, I'm sorry, but it'll be out soon! :)</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Sixteen</span>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina was the first to wake up out of the two. Groggily, she glanced down, eyes widening a bit. She had remembered that Tamaki had ended up staying the night, but they had completely changed positions in the night. Instead of the side by side position they had fallen asleep in, she now was flat on her back. Tamaki was cascaded across her own, his head on top of her breasts. Their legs were intertwined, Tamaki almost laying in between hers, but not quite. His face was facing hers, just a few inches apart. Her arms had wrapped around him, one hand completely lost in his hair. She knew that if she were to gasp, or laugh, or make some noise in between the two, he was sure to wake, so she stayed silent just staring with wide eyes. <em>This is much closer than I thought we would ever be.</em> Reina thought. The sunlight had just started to fall into the room, the highlights of Tamaki’s face being lit up by the light. <em>If I had to guess, I would say it was about 6 am,</em> she concluded, sneaking a peek over at her phone on the nightstand, and saw a text blinking for her attention. Reina slowly removed the hand that was wrapped around his body in attempt to reach over and grab it, but Tamaki shifted a little in his sleep, so she quickly placed her arm back where it had been and looked up at the ceiling, holding her breath for a moment to try and save the rest of his sleep. He seemed to settle back in quickly, but Reina held her breath for a bit longer just to be sure. She glanced back down at him, his bangs now a little further out of his face, and she finally let out a very soft breath and smiled, trying hard to relax herself as well. She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes again, trying to join him in a little more sleep, since she was stuck in her current position anyway. </p><p> </p><p>        A few moments after Reina had closed her eyes, not quite asleep but relaxed, Tamaki’s own fluttered open. His eyes turned towards the window, eyes narrowing a little as he damned the sun internally for waking him up so early. He laid peacefully for another moment, before he blinked and looked around in his limited view. His breath quickly hitched, and he laid frozen, looking down at the hoodie he had just been sleeping on. He felt Reina’s hands, one on his back and other in his hair, and he took a shallow breath. <em>How the hell did she end up holding me? I was holding her when I fell asleep. This has to be too much, she’s going feel weird when she wakes up,</em> he thought, heart racing. He looked up at her face, her freckles now exposed with the sunlight quickly filling the room. Her eyelashes, though ginger and not very clear to see without mascara, up close showed that they were long and curled to perfection. While resting, her lips sat in a little pout. Tamaki noticed how pink her lips were, even without any makeup on. They complimented well against her pale skin. <em>Should I get up? That risks waking her,</em> he thought, watching her for another moment before settling back into his original spot. Though, now that he was consciously laying on her breasts, there was a stirring inside his pants that wasn’t just from it being morning, and he quickly looked back towards the window to try and not think about it. Reina’s eyes had opened again, and she decided to peek down at Tamaki again. She noticed his eyes were open, but averted away from her. Smiling just a little, the fingers already wrapped in his hair went wild, softly pulling strands between her fingers. A soft shiver went up Tamaki’s body, the situation down below growing worse, so he pushed himself up onto his forearms and knees to escape the positioning. Though, hovering over her, with her hands still touching him, didn’t help much. He chuckled a little nervously, looking down on her now. </p><p> </p><p>        “Well, good morning, my princess,” his husky voice said, still a little groggy sounding, though many other aspects of his body were well awake. Reina let her arms that had been around her fall, her fingers intertwining together on her stomach and her arms falling to her side. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sleep well?” She asked, and he gave a little chuckle. </p><p> </p><p>        “Apparently,” he nodded, still hovering over her. <em>I can’t move, not yet, or else she’ll see. I don’t want to look like a pervert. </em>He slowly started to pale as his thoughts began to swirl. <em>I’m not a pervert, right? No, it’s only a natural response. This is simply instinct. That doesn’t make me gross or anything. </em></p><p> </p><p>        “Are you okay?” Reina asked, cocking an eyebrow as she watched the color drain from his face. His eyes widened as she shook him out of his thoughts, and as quick as he could, he stood and turned towards the door, facing away from her. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’m fine!” He assured, laughing a little. “I just need to use the restroom really quick. Where can I find the closest one?” Reina blinked, sitting herself up to look at him. </p><p> </p><p>        “To the left, then the first door on the left,” she said informed, watching as he gave her a smile from over his shoulder then quickly headed out. She reached out to check out the text message on her phone, sitting up all the way and crossing her legs. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Sora: Tell Tamaki he’s welcome to stay for breakfast. Maybe you won’t have to tell me about everything on your own then. I won’t bring up your date, in case it upsets the boy!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina laughed a little bit, then looked up at the date on her phone; May 4th. She sighed a little bit, grabbing her laptop that was still at the end of the bed, and clicking the power button in hopes that it would still be a little bit alive. In luck, it still was up and running, so she quickly exited out of the end screen of the movie that they had watched and pulled up her emails, pressing in to send a new one. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To: Connor Duffy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From: Reina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subject: Birthday weekend</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hey,</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I talked to a friend of mine, and he gave me a few options. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>        Reina stopped typing as Tamaki reappeared in the room. She smirked up at him. </p><p> </p><p>        “Sora invited you to breakfast. Don’t feel obligated by any means, but you’re welcome to join us,” she said, before turning back down to her email and drawing a blank. “I know you gave me a few recommendations for cities to visit here, can you just give me one? Just pick for me, please?” Tamaki thought about it for a second as he sat down at the end of the bed. </p><p> </p><p>        “Nagoya,” he nodded, deciding that would be the best option as far as a birthday trip could go. Reina smiled and quickly turned back to her screen. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He said that Nagoya is nice, so how about there? Anywhere is fine really, so if you have a better idea, just let me know. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Thanks! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>        She quickly sent it, then shut her laptop, and cast it aside before stretching a little. Tamaki glanced over at the laptop, curiosity taking over. </p><p> </p><p>        “Are you excited for your birthday then?” He asked, and she shrugged a little. </p><p> </p><p>        “It’s just a day, really. Plus, seventeen is sort of a boring birthday anyway. Too old for most things, but too young to legally do others,” she said. </p><p> </p><p>        “Birthdays can be fun at any age! You just have to have the right people around,” Tamaki said, a twinkle in his eye forming as he started a plan in his head. “By the way, I’ll happily join for breakfast. But how did she know that I was still here?” </p><p> </p><p>        “She told me that they have sensors on the door. So anytime the door is opened, it can detect it and track it. So normally, she expects the front door to open twice in a night when I’m out, like last night. Once for me, and once for Saito. So I’m just assuming that she didn’t see any motion in the door in the middle of the night and concluded that you didn’t leave out the window or anything,” she explained, to which Tamaki nodded a little. He stood from the bed, and reached his hand out to her. </p><p> </p><p>        “Should we get down there, then?” He asked. She nodded a little and took his hand, standing up with his help, and after they each slid on their slippers, they headed down the hall, then the stairs, and entered the grand hall. Sora sat, a wide grin spread across her face, excited for all that she was about to hear. After the formal introductions, and a bit of small talk, Sora asked Tamaki about his host club and about the dance, to which Tamaki flourished in conversation. He went on about why he decided to create the club, all about the character tropes he picked to join in on it, and about some of their day to day activities along with some of their more fun events, such as the dance they had put on. The conversation lasted much longer than their meal had, but both Tamaki and Sora seemed to be enjoying themselves pretty heavily, and Reina just watched the two people she cared about enjoy a moment together. As Tamaki finished, Sora gave a little smile. </p><p> </p><p>        “That all sounds so fun and exciting. I’m so glad that the dance went well yesterday. Speaking of yesterday, am I to assume that the rest of your night went well?” She mused, cupping her face in both hands as her elbows rested against the table. Tamaki flared up in a quick blush, clearing his throat, but Reina spoke first. </p><p> </p><p>        “We ended up just watching a movie and passing out,” she smiled, trying to conceal her own blush. Sora gave a little laugh and a nod. “Thank you again for letting him come over, Sora. I think we both appreciated the company and to wind down after the event.” </p><p> </p><p>        “I have to admit, I was worried that Reina may have been stretching the truth in saying I was allowed to be over. Especially after your husband came and knocked on her door, I thought I was about to be chased out,” Tamaki chuckled a little, but Sora’s face dropped a little bit. </p><p> </p><p>        “I wasn’t aware he came to her room,” she admitted quietly, blinking a few times before shaking her head, and her smile reappearing. “Strange. No, you weren’t going to get reprimanded. You’re free to come over anytime, Tamaki. Our home is yours.” He gave her a charming little grin, before pulling his phone out and checking the time. </p><p> </p><p>        “I appreciate that, and may take you up on that, so long as Reina will allow it. But, I should probably head home now,” he said, quickly sending out a text to his driver, then turning to Reina, and she instinctively stood. </p><p> </p><p>        “I’ll walk you outside,” she said, smiling back at Sora and giving her a bow before leading Tamaki back to the foyer. He quickly switched his slippers back to his sandals, then turned to Reina again. “Well thank you for hanging out with me for the night, sir.” </p><p> </p><p>        “The pleasure was mine,” he said, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of her hand softly. The sounds of the car pulling into the driveway could be heard, and before Tamaki could turn to the door, she leaned on her tip toes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. When he left, Reina had turned back towards the dining area to tell Sora about everything else, but the woman had already left the table. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Reina in her Thoughts (17)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: As promised, here's chapter 17! Sorry for the short one last chapter :)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Seventeen</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina hadn’t seen Sora for the rest of Sunday. One of the maids had informed her that Sora came down with a headache that landed her bedridden, and she was likely to return for their normal meals together the following day. Without much thought about it, Reina had spent the last two meals of her day stuck in her own thoughts. Those thoughts carried over to the next morning, and she had a really hard time focusing in class as they finished up the last chapter of Animal Farm together. Luckily for her, she had already gone through the book before, so it was basically just a refresher. Reina glanced up from the book for a moment as Mr. Goto continued to read aloud, and looked at the back of Tamaki’s head for a second, before looking back down as she heard the sounds of pages turning across the classroom, so she followed that cue and flipped to the next page as well. Reina had already thought long and hard about what had happened this weekend, but was just starting to process how she felt about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I sort of cast aside the idea of Tamaki liking me when I assumed he was gay, so after he learning he’s not, this all sort of feels like a fever dream. I think if I had just had that weekend with any other man, I would be assured, but I guess Hiroto’s accusations of Tamaki’s character really dug their way into my mind. And do I even like him, like genuinely? I’m attracted to him, yeah. And we have great conversations, and I love his energy, and I think I like him. But do I? I think I’m looking too far into this. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina laid the side of her head against her arm, holding the book in place and staring at it, but not listening too much. Mr. Goto was invested in reading, and she was far enough in the back of class for him to really notice that her head was down anyway. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Does he often sleep at other girls houses? He didn’t try anything, either. Maybe I was right, that Japanese students are much more modest than other students I’ve encountered. Still, I would think that modesty would not be used to describe sleeping in a bed with another girl, no matter how innocent it was. I’ll admit, it was nice. It’s been a really long time since I spent the night wrapped around someone. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought about it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was the first time I spent the ENTIRE night with someone. Normally, someone leaves or has to sneak out or something. It was nice to fall asleep at night with someone, and wake up peacefully with them the next morning. And the fact that he stayed for breakfast seems to speak for something, right? I don’t know. Normally things seem black and white. And normally, I don’t care one way or another. Why do I care so much now? I could have less than a year left here, feelings won’t even matter if I don’t return for my third year here. And if I do return, I don’t exactly know how to go about that. My feelings have never really mattered. I always got to leave everything behind to the next thing. I still have no idea about college, or what I’m to do after graduation. Wherever I end up for my last year, it might not be so easy to just leave everything behind me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina was quickly pulled out of her thoughts as everyone started to shut their books, and murmurs about the piece they just read had begun to spread across the room. She blinked and looked down at her own book, noticing that she was a few pages before the ending, though the class had just finished it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must have been zoned out for a while.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She quickly sat up and shut her book, setting it in the corner of her desk, and crossing her arms across the service, looking back up at the front of the room to see Mr. Goto set his own copy of the book on his desk, then reappearing at the front of the class. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So our lack of class discussion in this book has been deliberate. I’d love to know what you all think upon your first read,” he said, clasping his hands in front of him with a smile. “I’d like for you all to partner up for this project. Since we didn’t discuss this book much in class, I figure two brains are better than one. I’d like for you to take any aspect of the book that stuck out to you, whether it be a particular character or chapter or theme, and do a report on it in any way you see fit. It could be an essay, a powerpoint, even a posterboard if you think it’ll blow me away,” he chuckled. “We have two students absent, so that makes things easier, I’ll just pair them up. Since we have an odd number of students, one student could either work on their own or join another to make a group of three. I’ll give you the remainder of this period to pick a partner, and discuss your game plan.” He gave the class a smile, before turning back and heading to his desk. Reina looked across the room to the empty seat that Emica normally sat in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She looked up when she saw movement, and she noticed Kyoya standing and walking towards Mr. Goto’s desk. Tamaki turned his whole body around and gave a grin to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, will you be my partner?” He asked, and she cocked an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going to partner up with Kyoya?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he shook his head, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. “He did a project with me once in first year and vowed to never do it again. He’s working alone,” Tamaki explained. Reina nodded a little, then looked to Kyoya as he walked back to his desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I’m getting myself into a bad time if I accept to be his partner, then, Kyoya?” She asked him, to which Kyoya simply pushed up his glasses as he sat sideways in his chair, to keep looking at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t necessarily say a bad time, but that’s the issue. It’s very hard to keep him focused on his work. Our work methods simply don’t work, no ill will,” he stated, then turned back to the front to begin his work already. Reina laughed a little and looked back to Tamaki, who was patiently waiting for an answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lucky for you, I already read this book twice before so I have a pretty good grasp on it. I could probably write something up tonight and slap both our names on there, so you just picked the best partner of the class,” she bragged, flipping her hair quickly mockingly, right before she reached into her bag to pull out a few sticky notes and picking up her book again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t want to do that to you! Let’s work together,” he suggested, grabbing his own book, and sitting backwards in his seat, placing his book on her desk and flipping it open to a random page, probably to look more active. “Any ideas on what you want to do the report on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There are a lot of forms of manipulation that the pigs use, and I think that might be interesting to dive into the power of language and just how much that can affect a group of people. I want to stray away from Orwell’s reason for writing the book, which was government based, because I feel that might be obvious and overdone throughout the class,” she started, skimming through the pages as she tried to think on further topics they could use. Kyoya, who had been listening in, quickly scratched out a note he had taken - he had been planning to write about the totalitarianism themes himself, but took her words to Tamaki as advice to himself. “A fairly easy topic that would be easy to find a lot of examples on would be how equality is a hard thing to truly implement, and how creatures have a need for some sort for leaders and those who are lower.” She noticed Tamaki’s blank stare, and she cracked a smile. “Did you have any ideas? Really, I’m open.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought the part with Boxer was really sad,” was all he said, still trying to process everything she said and trying to relate it to the book they had just read about farm animals. Reina nodded a little bit, flipping to the part of the book where the pigs had shipped Boxer off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that could work!” She grinned, looking back up at him. “Boxer is a representation of the working class. He was one of the most important animals on the farm. Anyone could have led as Snowball or Napoleon did, but not everyone could work as hard as Boxer did. The farm relied on him, as well as calling him a friend. Napoleon worked him to the bone, told him he needed to work harder, and even when rations were reduced, Boxer’s food supply was cut short, which signified the poor pay that the working class would receive while still expected to work harder than the pigs, who did not have their rations cut,” Reina thought out loud, quickly writing page numbers down on a piece of paper, alongside quick notes of what she was saying. “Once Boxer was injured and was unable to work as hard as he did, he was cast aside by the leaders, deemed useless despite being a friend and hard worker. I think we could write a really great report on how the majority of society heavily relies on the working class, but only when deemed useful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How many times have you read this, again?” Tamaki asked, a little dumbstruck. Reina laughed a bit, flipping through the book again to try and find more examples of the mistreatment of Boxer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the third. I have an unfair advantage, so don’t worry about it if you don’t understand everything I’m saying. Thanks for the suggestion about Boxer, I really think that’s a good idea,” she smiled. “We could honestly knock this out pretty easily if you have some free time this week after school. If we finish early, then we’d essentially have a free period until the project is due, which would be nice.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finishing early, having a free period first thing in the morning, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> getting to spend more time with you outside of class? That all seems too good to be true, my princess,” he smiled, then turned back to his book, looking for any mention of Boxer’s name to try and give some useful paragraphs as Reina hastily took down the own notes she had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina spotted Hiroto as soon as she entered her theatre class. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why haven’t I thought about him? I just went on a date with him on Friday, and I practically forgot he existed,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought sadly, but gave him a smile before heading towards her seat. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I was pretty direct about not wanting anything serious, yet I still feel bad. He took me on a date, and the next night, I invited another guy into my bed. How shitty of a person am I, really? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She sat in her seat, but Hiroto quickly followed her there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, is our plan still on?” He asked, leaning his hip against the table she sat at. She peered up at him with a confused expression, so he elaborated. “About asking to do tech?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah!” She nervously laughed, giving him a quick nod. “Yep! Still on for that!” He stood still, blinking a few times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay… So.. we should go do that, then. Like before class starts. So, now would be good,” he mused, raising an eyebrow at her. “Do I make you that nervous?” He teased, puckering his lips a little. Reina finally settled a bit, rolling her eyes and lightly punching his shoulder as she stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you wish,” she giggled, taking the first few steps towards their teacher. She turned to look at him, and noticed that his hair was pulled back. She smiled softly, remembering that she had complimented him on that. “I like the hairstyle. You should thank whoever told you that looked good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll thank my mom when I get home, then,” he laughed. “You were not the first to compliment me on Friday.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, I have to compete with your mom now? Game over,” she rolled her eyes a bit with a little smirk as they approached Mrs. Tanaka. After giving a brief explanation, and asking for the tech positions, their teacher expressed her disappointment that they wouldn’t be auditioning, but granted them their desired positions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since we’ll be doing auditions today, you two can head up to the booth and get acquainted with it. Just turn on the stage lights since we’ll need them!” She smiled, and sent them off to the stage. Each grabbing their belongings, they headed off towards the stage and up into the booth. After turning on all the stage lights, they each sat on opposite ends of the room, looking over their own machines. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how did the rest of your weekend go?” Hiroto asked, picking up a microphone and looking into all the settings it had out of curiosity. Reina let out a nervous little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re probably not going to believe me if I did tell you,” she said, which peaked his interest. “I doubt I mentioned it, but I kinda got roped into attending the host club’s dance.” Hiroto let out a loud, mocking laugh, looking over at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t tell me, and it’s a good thing you didn’t. Our date would not have been as great as it was, I would have been obligated to make fun of you,” he chuckled, shooting her a little grin, but she only responded by sticking her tongue out at him. “So how awful was it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was the best night of my life, actually,” she joked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Though… maybe that wasn’t a joke. I can’t think back to a night I felt more at peace, actually. I don’t think the dance really contributed to that, though, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she realized, now biting her lip. She began to feel a little bad, like she was making fun of Tamaki, though she wasn’t. “It really wasn’t that bad, honestly. Maybe not my exact scene, but it got me out of the house. And I spent most of the time with one of my friends, anyway, so it was basically just us shopping for dresses, and then hanging out most of the night. It was fine.” Hiroto nodded a bit, setting the microphone back down and began to rummage through some of the drawers, finding mostly wires concealed inside. Reina thought about Emica, and a frown set on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I forgot about that whole thing she said to me about Mori. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I know you’re not a fan of the host club, but can I talk to you for a second, and ask for your unbiased opinion?” He gave her a little nod, so she continued. “The friend that I hung out with that day, she’s convinced that one of the hosts is in love with her. She even confided in me that she doesn’t go on any dates because she just knows that her and Mori are going to end up together. What would you do, if you were in my situation?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, if you can remember, I told you the truth. So that would be my advice,” he shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but I don’t know Mori. Maybe my friend is right. Is it worth hurting her feelings if I end up being incorrect?” She asked. Hiroto went to respond, but Reina quickly interjected. “Unbiased.” He took a moment to think again, then just shrugged again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still would tell the truth. Or I guess a more unbiased way to word that, would be to tell her your opinion on how it looks. Maybe try to talk her into going on a date?” He suggested. “You know, a subtle approach to it.” Reina gave a little nod and sat back in her seat. The class had already filed in and begun their auditions, and since Mrs. Tanaka hadn’t pulled them out of the booth to join the class in watching, she figured this really would be a free class for them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not today,” she warned, “but at some point, do you think we’re gonna be able to sneak away to go home early?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, definitely. Mrs. Tanaka is pretty lenient with us about that. As long as she doesn’t see us walk out the door, she doesn’t care. At the beginning of each class, she tells us who is needed for rehearsals for the day, and then turns a blind eye,” he explained, and Reina grinned. “Meaning if you and I ever wanted to, I don’t know, maybe go get ice cream again in the middle of the day, this would be the perfect time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, but not today,” she repeated, giving him a little smile. “But good to know.” He sat silent for a few minutes, before turning to face her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought a little bit more about what you said on our date, about just having fun this year. Can you explain a little more what you meant by that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In my personal opinion,” she started, turning to face him as well. “You and I both have futures that are unclear. It would be unfair for either of us to expect exclusivity out of the other. If you were talking to a second year who would be guaranteed to stay at Ouran next year, and your relationship got serious, you could commit to going to a college here in Tokyo to remain close to her. I’m not sure where I’m going after this year, so if I were to date a second year, we could potentially plan on going to the same college after third year - not that I really see that happening, but hypothetically - so me and that person would only be waiting a year for each other. But hypothetically, if you and I were to get serious, and you committed to a school in Tokyo to stay near me and I left, then I not only wasted your time, but you could have potentially gone elsewhere.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, it’s just not in the cards for us, hypothetically?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t say that,” she cautiously said, thinking about it. “All I mean is we both should live our lives. If things are meant to be, they do. I don’t like to try to create a ‘forever’ in situations where fate probably doesn’t permit it. But fate has a weird way of working. I just don’t think being exclusive is a good goal to currently have.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then would you be mad if I dated other girls, as well?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow, and Reina shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really wouldn’t. You could be losing out on your soulmate with a temporary person, if that makes sense. Would you be mad if I went on dates with other guys?” She asked, giving a little smirk as he rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I wouldn’t be mad. Everything you said made sense, I get it. Now jealous? Maybe a hint,” he chuckled a bit, reaching into his bag and pulling out some homework. “But if I were to ask you on another date, understanding the terms of this, would you agree?” She laughed a little at his phrasing, but gave him a little nod and a smile. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Jean Valjean (18)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Eighteen </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Do you want me to come pick you up after I’m done hosting, and we can work on our assignment at my house? I would like to change so it may be easier to just work at my home :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: Sure! Let me know whenever you’re on the way</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was already Thursday. Tamaki had been pretty busy with the host club, but they were already quite a bit ahead of the rest of the class, so both he and Reina had decided it was fine to take their time with meeting up. It took about an hour for Reina to get the text from Tamaki that he was headed over. She had already texted Sora to inform her, figuring that she might still have a headache and didn’t want to try and find her to tell her in person. Reina had already changed outfits, opting for a pair of black jeans and a long sleeve black and white striped shirt. The book lying on her bed was now filled with sticky notes, different colors to show areas that definitely needed to be included, some that could be tweaked with other context clues, and some that were last resort options if they needed just a little extra. She scooped up the book and a few other papers she had sprawled about her bed, then next grabbed her laptop. Rushing over to her closet, she grabbed a spare backpack she had, slipping all of the items into it. She made her way to the foyer, and after slipping her shoes, she exited the home to find Tamaki already outside the car, holding the back door open for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a gentleman,” she mused loudly, enough for him to hear with the gap between them, then hurrying down the steps and towards him. “Thank you, sir,” she curtsied teasingly, before climbing into the car and moving across the seat, so he could climb in, which he did with a smile her way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll always treat you as such, my princess,” he grinned, closing the door right before the driver took off, then taking her hand that sat against the seat and giving her knuckles a little kiss. “Don’t act so surprised.” Reina laughed a little, rolling her eyes a bit before turning to face him fully, not feeling the need to buckle for such a short trip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m already almost done. I wrote down the majority of the report, and now I’m just typing it up. The main thing I’ll need your help with is making sure that everything is grammatically correct, and seeing if there’s anything else you wanted to add,” she informed, with a prideful smile looming across her lips. Tamaki gave a little nod, then grimaced when he noticed the unused seatbelt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you put that on?” He asked, to which she simply shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming that you don’t live that far, right? I’ll survive,” she said. He furrowed his eyebrows, and decided not to argue, but instead, reached across behind her and pulled the belt, stretching it across her, then securing the buckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On the slim chance we crash, I don’t want your words to be incorrect,” was all he said. She looked down at the seatbelt with a little blush, and turned herself forward again, giving a little nod. “Did you buckle when your date was driving?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, I don’t intend to annoy you anymore today, so I’m refusing that question,” she said with a little wink his way, and he grimaced again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I’ll just have to babysit you more often,” he muttered, but cracked a smile at her laugh. It didn’t take long for the car to reach the Suoh estate. At lightning speed, even before the car had fully stopped, Tamaki unbuckled and jumped out of the car, dashing to the other side of the car to open Reina’s door. When he opened it, he saw her gaping at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have no room to lecture me on safety from now on, Suoh,” she warned, unbuckling quickly and grabbing her bag before climbing out. “That was way worse than not using a seatbelt.” He gave a little chuckle, scratching the back of his neck a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he sheepishly said, but to his surprise, she reached out to hold his hand as they started to walk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re fine, right? And now no more safety speeches, so it looks like I win,” she laughed as Tamaki opened the door, the couple with intertwined hands immediately greeted by a short, elderly woman, who was smiling at the pair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good afternoon, Master Tamaki. I assume you’ll be introducing me to your guest?” The woman asked, and Tamaki gave a quick grin, turning to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, this the head of the estate staff, Shima Maezomo. Shima, this is Reina Thompson. We’re working on a school project together, so we’re going to spend most of the time in my room.” Shima gave a smile to Reina, then turned back to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should I assume she’s going to be staying for dinner?” Shima asked. Reina opened her mouth to respond and decline, but Tamaki beat her to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be great, thank you, Shima!” He beamed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you need any refreshments, come find me,” the woman smiled, her words directed to Reina before turning off, heading to the kitchen to make sure they add another plate to tonight’s dinner. Tamaki squeezed her hand a little as he tugged her towards the stairs, leading her up towards his room. Once they got to the door, she stopped out front, not going in. He glanced back at her, cocking his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you need to change?” She questioned, leaning against the wall next to the doorway and crossing her arms over her chest. He blushed up and gave a little nod, quickly slipping into the room and shutting the door behind him. As he began to search for something suitable, Reina stood outside in the hall. She turned, her back up against the wall, and crossed her ankles, staring up at the ceiling. Only 30 seconds had passed by, but out of boredom, it seemed like a lifetime. A voice down the hall brought her out of her trance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t often see young ladies standing around my house,” the voice softly said, approaching. Reina nearly jumped out of her skin, turning her head in the direction of the man now standing just a few feet from her. Her red hair flew in front of her face for a moment, but quickly repositioned itself to the sides of her face, framing it. The man gave her a little chuckle. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You must be Reina, correct?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, that’s correct,” she nodded, quickly moving from her position to give him a little bow, but he held his hand up, as if to tell her that wasn’t necessary, so she stopped in her tracks. “You said your home. Are you Tamaki’s dad?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am,” he smiled. “My name is Yuzuru.” He looked at the door that was now opening, Tamaki standing in the doorway, without a shirt on, with a small amount of confusion on his face having heard the voices outside of his room, but gave a large grin once he saw that it was only his dad. He had rushed out prematurely to see what was happening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Father! I’m glad to see you’ve met my favorite little foreigner,” He grinned, looking over at Reina, who seemed to be getting more uncomfortable by the second, especially with the shirtless Tamaki standing beside her now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did. You can continue to get dressed, Tamaki. I can keep her company in the meantime,” Yuzuru stated, nodding his son back into the room, and Tamaki quickly complied with a little smile. Yuzuru turned back to Reina, knowing he would only have a few more moments before his son was to remerge. “I’d love to speak with you more, I would hope that you’re going to spend dinner with us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems that Tamaki already volunteered me for that to Shima, so it’s your lucky day, I suppose,” the girl nodded, still a bit confused on what was happening. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He already knew my name?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuzuru gave her a smile, and just as he had guessed, Tamaki opened the door once more, still grinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I look forward to spending dinner with you two, then. I have many questions,” he said simply, before nodding to the pair, then turning and leaving. Tamaki took hold of Reina’s hand and led her inside his large room. She looked around, trying to force her confusion and overall nervousness out of her system. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your room is so nice,” she complimented with a smile, heading over to the bed and setting her backpack on top of it. She took another look around, and saw Tamaki beaming at her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to run into your dad, or whatever. I definitely didn’t think that coming here would get me invited to your family dinner, so sorry about that as well.” Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows, following her over to the bed after grabbing his own bag and taking a seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind, Reina. In fact, I welcome you with open arms,” he told her, peering over at her as they each began to pull out their own work for the report. “You could come have dinner with us every night, if you wanted to. You’re always welcome with me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I appreciate that,” Reina said softly, pulling her laptop out and turning it on, not yet looking at him. “Tamaki? Do you talk about me to your dad?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think once or twice,” he admitted, cheeks heating up a little. “I can’t help myself, my princess. Why do you ask?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He already knew my name, is all,” she informed, still thinking. “And I’m just wondering what kinds of questions are gonna be thrown my way.” She pulled her papers towards her, then shot Tamaki a look. “You’re gonna be a little bored for a few minutes. Give me like ten minutes and I should be pretty much finished. My rough draft is in English, so you can’t really help me much right now.” Tamaki’s eyes almost shot out of his head when he saw the number of papers she had in her hands as she began to type. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t have that many after study hall. You did that all while I was at the club?” He asked, bewildered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I went home early, so I had more time than just that,” she assured. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you leave early, did something happen?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, nothing happened. I just wasn’t assigned to do anything in theatre today so I snuck out. I’ll be home early for a while, since I’m not a part of the play. I don’t need to start doing stuff until the end,” she explained, reading the next paragraph quickly before typing again. He frowned a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean you’re not a part of the play? You didn’t get casted?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t audition,” she corrected. “I decided to just do tech stuff for the play. I much prefer musicals, so I’m just saving my energy for that. Plus, getting to go home early is pretty great, so who knows? Maybe I’ll skip the musical too,” she laughed, but Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But didn’t you play Juliet in your school play in France?” He blurted out, only realizing afterwards that Kyoya had told him that, not Reina. She shot him a surprised look, then after she realized, her face fell and she sighed. “Sorry. I forgot Kyoya told me that.” Reina closed her eyes for a moment, before continuing to type. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I did play Juliet. It doesn’t mean I found it too fun. And besides, I wasn’t given the option to forfeit being in the play in middle school if I wanted to be involved at all. We outsourced for tech positions since nobody wants to trust middle schoolers with such expensive equipment. We were all forced to audition, and we were given the spots that we were given. It didn’t mean I wanted it, which is another reason I didn’t want to audition for this one. I didn’t want to take a spot from someone who really wanted it,” she coolly explained. “I wouldn’t have really wanted it. Now for the musical, I will want a part, so I’ll audition then,” she finished the paragraph that she was on and flipped the page, then peered over at him from behind her bangs, anticipating another question, but Tamaki smiled and decided to keep it lighthearted for now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay Miss Musical, what’s your dream role?” He asked, and her eyes lit up for a second, giving a little grin as she turned back to the screen and continued to type. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, my dream production to be in would be Les Miserables. I’d either want to play Fantine or Eponine, either would be good to me,” she said, giving a sad little smile as she thought about the issues each of those characters had to endure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not Cosette?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow, and Reina simply shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never related to her character. She had her early hardships, sure, but I just never related to her,” she shrugged a little, taking another peek at the paper below her, then going back to her typing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you relate to the other two?” He questioned, a little confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not on a personal level, but I feel for them the most. Aside from the child version of Cosette, her character just didn’t impact me as much. On a personal level, I relate to Jean Valjean,” she said, and Tamaki chuckled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, are you a criminal?” He teased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm, I broke my parole and everything. I’m also in this forty year long feud with a cop, so he and I just seem to be living the same life right about now,” Reina smirked, shaking her head a little as she let out a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So did Les Lumineux do a musical the year you were there?” He asked, once again freezing as he let out another piece of information that Kyoya had told him; the name of her old school. Reina stilled, then looked over at him, shock written all over her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Is there anything else Kyoya told you that I should know about?” She asked, holding back a lot of anger as she went back to her typing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, there is one thing that I’ve been holding back for a little while,” Tamaki admitted, looking at the papers that she had written, but only picking up on a few words from his studies. “Do you know Chance Couture?” Reina once again stopped typing at his words for a moment, before slowly continuing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rings a bell, I think, but probably just in passing,” she lied. Tamaki studied her, noticing that she wouldn’t even look in his direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He played Romeo in that play with you,” he slowly said, as if trying to give her another opportunity to change her answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Reina said quietly, though she had already known that. “Then I guess I did know him. It seems you know better than I do.” Subconsciously, she began to type faster. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The quicker I get this over with, the quicker I can leave. I can figure out a lie about not being able to stay for dinner. I can’t think about all this shit today. Or, I didn’t intend to think about it at all, really. I know what I’m most worried about. Maybe, I should just ask. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Why, do you know the kid or something?” Tamaki and Reina both seemed taken aback with the level of aggression in her voice, so she quickly tried a save. “Sorry, I’m just concentrated is all,” she said, taking a peek at him, and noticing that her ‘save’ didn’t quite work. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He looks, concerned? Sad? I can’t really tell. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki couldn’t quite pick up on what he was feeling, either. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He and I were classmates before he moved, so I guess he moved to your school,” he was able to utter, watching as Reina flipped the page once again, the pages quickly running out of the stack. “I had said to you your first day that I was sure that we knew some of the same people, so I was right. I found at least one.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So have you talked to him, then?” Her voice, far from the aggression it just held, now rang cold and distant, as if she wasn’t even in the room anymore. The only thing that really kept Tamaki from questioning that they were even in the same bed was the consistent sound of the keyboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said softly, about to make a move to touch her, but stopped himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe she doesn’t want that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I don’t have any of his contact information,” he lied. He had already retrieved Chance’s email from an old friend, but hadn’t done anything with it yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re looking in the wrong place for that, sorry,” she informed him, flipping the page yet again and skimming it quickly before going back to the keys. “I don’t have that, maybe someone from your old school has it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess I didn’t think to check with any of them recently. Were any of your old friends close with him? Maybe one of them has it, if I can’t find it on my end?” He suggested, slowly trying to pry more information out of Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t know,” was all she said, pushing her back up against the headboard, bending her knees and continuing to type, no longer looking anywhere near Tamaki, though he was not reciprocating that. He watched Reina, the girl who typically couldn’t go a few minutes without smiling, or laughing, or cracking a joke at something, who now was just typing with a stone cold expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you just not like him?” He softly asked, finally reaching his hand out to touch her bent knee. Her leg flinched just a bit, but her eyes still didn’t move from the screen. She didn’t respond for a few minutes, but after reaching over and flipping the pages once more, she sent him a little glance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then what is it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jean Valjean,” she said softly. He furrowed his eyebrows, waiting for continuation. “Packing up, leaving behind who you were, and never looking back. That’s why I relate to him.” Tamaki continued to stay silent, so she went on to quote, “‘As I stare into the void, the whirlpool of my sin, I’ll escape from that world. From the world of Jean Valjean, Jean Valjean means nothing now. Another story must begin,’” she recited, flipping to the last page and finally, finished her typing. She set the laptop in front of the dumbstruck Tamaki, and stood, stretching. “I’m gonna use the bathroom, I assume I’ll find it. Can you read over that and make sure it’s all grammatically correct, please? Or if there are any points I missed or anything,” she said, giving him a long awaited - though, forced - smile before heading out of the room. Tamaki sat, stunned, unsure of what to say or do. He hadn’t stopped her from leaving the room because he wasn’t even sure if his mouth could work anymore. He looked down at the laptop, but couldn’t even muster up the energy to try and read through any school assignment at the moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Packing up and leaving everything behind. She said ‘another story must begin’. Does she think the same thing will happen? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was pulled out of his thoughts by her coming back into the room. She headed back over towards the bed, and he anticipated her to sit back down, but instead she began to pack up all of her notes. “Did everything look okay? I can email it to you if you want me to, but I’ll print it once I get home so it’ll be ready to turn in,” she said, but was cut off by him reaching over to grab her wrist, stopping her from packing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to know, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he finally concluded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t keep in contact with any of your old friends?” He asked, forcing eye contact. She blinked, trying to search for any joke in the world, but couldn’t find anything that she thought could combat the sad eyes she saw in front of her. She relaxed a little in his grasp, and gave a little nod. “Do you think I’m going to do that to you?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Him, do that to me? No. At least that’s the assumption he took from this, then. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s kind of just what happens,” she shrugged a little bit. “Life goes on, and you just lose contact with people. It happens, and I allow it because it makes everything easier in the long run.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry to inform you, my princess, but your plan just won’t go through as you expect. I’ll text or call you every single day,” he said, his sad eyes slowly showing glimmers of determination, then slowly, a little chuckle let itself loose. “Even if just to prove that I could.” Reina finally let out a little laugh and rolled her eyes, shaking his hand off of her face subtly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Game on, I guess. Did you even read the paper while I was gone?” Tamaki shook his head and Reina sighed, falling back to lay on the bed, by his side. “All that hard work for nothing,” she whined teasingly, looking up at him from her lying position. He reached down, brushing the bangs out of her face, then gave her a smile before grabbing the laptop with one hand, and with the other, grabbing her hand to kiss her hand. “I’ll give you the warning, sir. Don’t get too attached, promises are meant to be broken, after all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Promises are meant to be kept. Besides, we’re long past that point,” he said, lips still against her hand as he read through the document. “But maybe I should warn you about the same thing, my princess. You’ll never want to leave me behind if you’re in love with me,” he chuckled, glancing down at her to catch a little eye roll. “Though, that would make my job much easier.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t go making anything easy for you, can I now?” She laughed, and felt a little smile against her hand. They stayed like that until Tamaki finished reading through the paper, changing a few words to better fit a sentence, but overall approving it. He set the laptop to the side before falling back, landing next to her, keeping a grasp on her hand as they laid side by side. She thought back to another Les Miserables quote that really stood out to her before glancing over at him, trying to rephrase it without having to translate the lyrics in her head. “You know, it’s not a sad thing, having to move on. Every person that I have left behind lives happily without me, and that’s what matters,” she said, which made him turn down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But are you happy?” He asked, and she stopped for a moment, blinking as she thought about it. “Because other people’s happiness is not the only thing that matters.” She looked back up at the ceiling, scrunching her nose up a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy,” she assured, but that was all she said. Tamaki squeezed her hand, then reached down, kissing her temple softly before joining her, staring at the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you’re happy here with me, then I must be a part of the reason. Meaning, I have your happiness to upkeep, my princess,” he smugly pointed out, getting a little eye roll from Reina. “You’ll still be in my life whether you reside in Japan or not,” he stated, matter-of-factly. “I’m sure of that.” Reina didn’t respond verbally, all she did was rest her head against the side of his arm and sighed softly, closing her eyes. He used his free hand to brush her bangs away again, but settled into her and closed his eyes as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The couple laid there for quite a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. It didn’t take long though for Tamaki to begin to stir, checking the time and then slowly rising from his position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s about dinner time, we should probably go down,” he said, looking down at her. Reina propped herself up on her elbows and scrunched up her nose once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I can handle another interrogation, to be honest with you. I might need to sneak out the back or something,” she admitted, to which Tamaki simply shook his head, grabbing her arm and helping her sit up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, can’t get out of it that easily. I promise, it won’t be bad,” he reassured her as he grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet from the bed. “And if it is bad, I’ll be there right next to you! I’m on your side, Reina,” he smiled, leading her to the door. She was hesitant, but complied, and followed him down to the dining room.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Family Matters (19)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Nineteen </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuzuru was already seated, the food already set out along the table, but his plate was empty as he waited for the couple to emerge through the dining room doors. Just as the two did, Yuzuru stood to greet them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome down,” he smiled, motioning to the two seats set in front of him. Tamaki beamed as he held the chair out for Reina to sit, which after a bow directed at Yuzuru, she did, and he quickly took a seat next to her. “Help yourself,” he said, taking a seat himself, then began to fill his plate. Tamaki followed his father, slowly but surely, piling his plate up. Reina gave the elder Suoh a smile, scooping a little bit of salad on her plate, and grabbing a singular dinner roll. </span>
  <em>
    <span>In case I need to leave abruptly, I’d better not get too much. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Reina, tell me, are you enjoying Ouran so far?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am,” she smiled, taking the water pitcher from the middle of the table, and slowly filling up her cup. “Everyone’s been so nice and welcoming, it’s nice to see that. It gives me hope for the rest of the year,” she said, setting the pitcher back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy to hear that Ouran has treated you well so far. I took another look at your application and transcript, and you’ve had your fair share of academies. As chairman, I’m glad to hear that our school at least lives up to your prior schools,” he smoothly added in, and Reina gave him a nervous smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s great! You’re doing a great job,” she laughed a little, her levels of uncomfortable settling in. She glanced over to Tamaki and saw him pretty focused on the food on his plate. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Looks like this is gonna be a 1 v 1 conversation, then, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, holding back a little sigh. Yuzuru gave a little laugh, picking up his fork. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to hear about some of your other schools, if you don’t mind,” he smiled, then took a bite of his food. Reina shook her head, sitting up a little straighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all,” she smiled. “I obviously lived in America for a while, New York more specifically. We lived in Los Angeles for a while, but as our company shifted into a different direction, we moved to the East Coast. I don’t remember too much about Los Angeles. My school in New York was a K-12, so once I moved there, I grew up with the same kids for a while until I moved to Italy. That school was nice, but I was still kinda young, so a lot of it was still a lot of fluff work, if that makes sense. The students were nice, but I wasn’t too sad to move from there. I was in France next, the same school for two years. I really liked Les Lumineux, everything from the studies to the students. Somehow, I got lucky and it was more of an arts school, so it had a lot of aspects I found more intriguing,” she explained, taking a quick drink of water before continuing. “Next was Holland, and that one was also only a year, so I enjoyed it enough for my short stay. I would say out of all my schools, I felt the most disconnected at that one. My elective classes were all taken up to learn Japanese, and since I was older, classes were a lot more like lectures, so it was harder to socialize in that particular academy,” she finished, with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All of that is so interesting,” he nodded, taking a drink of water himself, nodding as he processed all that she said. “Would you say that Ouran has a good balance in it’s classes, between lectures and the ability to socialize? I would say a big part of attending an elite school is the networking, so I find it interesting to hear that one of your schools didn’t focus too heavily on it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think so,” she nodded. “I mean, for instance, I’m here today because Tamaki and I were working on a school project together. In The Netherlands, the vast majority of your work was solo, so I would say that your teachers do a good job at embedding networking inside of it’s work.” Yuzuru nodded a bit, before setting his fork down and settling into his seat, a little smile crossing his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am fairly intrigued, I’d love to hear about how you got involved with a host family program. I’ll admit, I don’t think anyone in one of those programs has attended Ouran in years. It’s rare to come by,” Yuzuru mused, before taking a bite of his food. Reina picked up her dinner roll and subconsciously just held it in her hands, not yet moving it to her mouth at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s not that fun of a story, to be honest. I thought I was going on vacation, but next thing I knew, I was living in Italy for a year,” she laughed a little, realizing the bread in her hands and quickly setting it back on her plate, reaching across to grab the cup of water instead. “My parents got me enrolled on it, so I’m not too sure how it came about, honestly. But Italy was fun, so I didn’t really complain.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have to admit, I found it strange that your mom would put you in something such as that,” Yuzuru thought out loud. Tamaki finally had begun to listen into the conversation, and both he and Reina stopped what they were doing at those words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck is that supposed to mean? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought, exchanging a quick glance to Tamaki. “She just didn’t seem like that type. Have you two exchanged stories yet, from your time at Ouran?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And by you two, who exactly are you referring to? Like, me and Tamaki? Because aside from our two elective classes, we kinda have to go through the motions together,” Reina said, cocking an eyebrow and sitting back in her seat, studying the man in front of her. Yuzuru let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, your mother and you. I was wondering if you two had talked at all about her years at Ouran or not,” he said. Tamaki’s eyes widened a little, turning to Reina to ask, but she was the first to talk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you might have the wrong person, Mr. Suoh,” she said, forcing a little smile. “My mom lived here, but she never mentioned that I would be attending her old school.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kimi definitely went to school here, her and I attended around the same time, though I was older,” he informed her, nodding his head a little. Reina stayed quiet, just watching Yuzuru, blank faced. “That makes me sad, that she hadn’t mentioned anything. Her and I were good friends, I was hoping that you would have heard about me.” Tamaki turned to look at Reina, who just seemed a little confused, then watched as she cracked a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So interesting! Sorry, no, she hadn’t spoken about it. I was always under the impression that my father was the one to dictate which schools I attended, so I think it was just a bit of a coincidence happening. Strange,” she mumbled the last part, glancing back at the water glass in her hand. “I suppose we’ll probably talk about it when I go back home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When do you go back?” Yuzuru questioned, but Reina didn’t look up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, right before the next school year starts, so I’ll have to try to remember what you told me until then,” she said, once again letting a little smile loose, trying to not seem as distant from the conversation as she felt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My mom went to the school I’m currently attending, and nobody thought to tell me? Nobody thought that someone might know who I am? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a very long time to go without seeing your family,” Yuzuru noted, and Reina gave a shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In terms of time, it doesn’t make sense to travel back and forth between school, so we just hold off and have a whole year of conversations in a week’s span,” Reina laughed a little. Yuzuru studied her a little before nodding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mom and I stopped talking shortly after she became pregnant with you. She was dealing with, well, life, and I understood that on my end, because that was the same time that Tamaki’s mother was pregnant as well. Do you have any more siblings?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have four siblings,” she smiled, to which Tamaki’s ears perked up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you had three?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow, and Reina jumped a little, almost forgetting he was there for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep! You’re right. I’m sorry, I translated incorrectly. I thought that included me,” she said, giving a little laugh. Tamaki remained watching her, eyebrow still cocked. “Cut me some slack, I know I’m super intelligent and all, but I still only have a year of this language under my belt,” she reminded him, to which he chuckled a little, relaxing in his seat and nodding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re pretty fluent for only a year,” Yuzuru noted. Reina gave a smug little smile, flipping her hair and giving a half shrug, definitely jokingly, which the boys both picked up on and gave a little laugh. “Your mother never taught you?” He asked, picking up his napkin from the table and wiping his face as he finished his meal. Reina simply shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My dad doesn’t know Japanese, so we just spoke English. My mom taught me a little bit of Spanish, but only because it’s pretty beneficial to know Spanish in the states, with how many other people know it. You don’t come across too many Americans who can speak Japanese, or at least not comparatively,” she explained. Yuzuru blinked, glancing over at Tamaki who had moved back to his plate to finish his food, then back at Reina, who was just watching him. She was anticipating more troublesome conversation. Finally, it seemed like it dawned on Yuzuru, and he immediately gave a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, your dad. Eric, right? That’s his name?” He questioned her, putting an extra emphasis on his name. Reina slowly nodded, glancing back at Tamaki, and now it fully clicked for Yuzuru. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enough of that conversation, for now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, sending a smile her way. “I had never met him. I hope the two are happy,” he grinned, and Reina almost gave a sigh of relief. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It seems he understood,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she nodded, grateful for probably the first time that whole day. “Tamaki clued me in on the majority of how his dance went, for his club. It’s to my understanding that you were in attendance?” Tamaki beamed at the mention of the host club, and he answered before Reina had the option to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She did attend,” he grinned over at the girl next to him, who gave him a little smile back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you have fun?” Suzuru asked, and Reina gave a quick nod, which made Tamaki smile even brighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did. Tamaki did a really good job on organizing it,” she complimented. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems so,” Yuzuru nodded, handing his plate to a member of the staff as they came out to clear the table. A woman came over to Tamaki and Reina’s side, lifting Tamaki’s empty plate from in front of him, then glancing over at Reina’s, which had been untouched. Reina quickly picked up her own plate, handing it off to the woman with a smile and a little nod, so the staff member gave a quick nod, and left with the two plates back into the kitchen. “Shima also mentioned to me that Tamaki didn’t come home until the next morning that night, except for a little stop in to change his clothes. Is there a correlation between the two? Your attendance there, and his absence here?” The girl’s eyes quickly widened and her cheeks were painted a bright shade of red, shooting a glance at Tamaki, who seemed to be just as flustered. “I’m not mad, I just want to know what I should be expecting between you two,” he quickly said, cupping one hand over the other and placing them on the table in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to worry, Mr. Suoh, it wasn’t like that,” she said quickly, her blush staying put across her cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, I was a teenager too. I understand,” he chuckled a little, then turned to Tamaki. “You’re welcome here anytime, Reina, but I don’t anticipate grandchildren anytime soon, Tamaki,” he said, directing his words at his son, whose face was growing even brighter than Reina’s. She shifted in her seat, looking back at Yuzuru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for the open invitation, but like I said, it wasn’t like that. You don’t have to worry,” she smiled, then stood. “Thank you so much for having me over for dinner, but I should probably head back home,” she said, giving the two men a little nod. “Oh! My stuff,” she said, quickly glancing back over to the double doors that they came from. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, why don’t you go grab her items?” Yuzuru suggested. Tamaki stood and gave a quick glance to Reina, before nodding to his dad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be quick,” he said softly, before bounding out of the doors and out of sight. Reina braced herself as she turned back around, and saw Yuzuru motioning for her to sit back down. She quickly complied, cupping her hands inside her lap and giving a sheepish little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Eric, your dad?” He asked. Reina glanced behind her, trying to make sure that Tamaki wasn’t walking back in. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>We can speak in English, if you’re worried about accidental eavesdropping,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yuzuru quickly said in fluent English, which startled Reina a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s felt like so long since I’ve heard that language, it almost feels foreign coming out of someone else’s mouth,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she noticed, but gave a quick nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Eric, my father, as we call him,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she responded back in English, and Yuzuru cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Business. I’m sure you understand.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Probably more than you know,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he chuckled a little. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Like I said, I never met him. But from the little comments I heard about him, I never really cared to meet him. I feel sad to hear that your mother sounds nothing like the young lady I once knew. I do hope they’re happy, I wasn’t fabricating that.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Happy as you can be, I suppose,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina shrugged, lifting her cup and finishing off the rest of what water was left in there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’d hope you know that I was being as truthful as I could be in our conversation. Like I said, I’m sure you understand. I really didn’t know my mom attended Ouran,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she admitted, quietly. Yuzuru nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m assuming that Tamaki doesn’t know about a lot of this stuff?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, but sir, your son is persistent. I doubt I can go another month without him knowing my whole life story,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she groaned, slouching a little as she remembered the earlier conversation, the exhaustion of the day finally settling in. Yuzuru chuckled and flashed her a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Like father, like son. He seems pretty interested in you,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he said, glancing up as he heard Tamaki’s footsteps draw closer, so he quickly finished his train of thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Your mom and I really were good friends, and I always pictured that I would get to see her children grow up, and likewise for her. I’m glad that I can have that opportunity now. If you need anything at all, you know where to find me. You’re welcome here at any point, just come say hi when you’re here,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he smiled, concluding just as Tamaki walked in, catching the last part just enough to realize the two were speaking English, and he just stared, trying to translate any piece, but the words came out too fast for him to pick up any of the pieces. “Tamaki, I was just letting Reina know that she can take one of our cars to go home, instead of waiting for one of her own. Can you go let the driver know that the vehicle will be needed, so he can pull the car around for her?” Tamaki watched the situation in front of him, before giving a single nod and rushing back out towards the office for their driver. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you, Mr. Suoh,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina said as she stood, knowing Tamaki would be back shortly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please, call me Yuzuru. I’ll be sure not to mention what you told me to Tamaki, though I assume you’re correct, he’s sure to find out soon enough. It doesn’t need to be from me, though,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he said, giving her a little nod. Reina smiled and turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not that it matters, but just out of curiosity. Does Tamaki tend to bring girls around often? A friend of mine told me some things, and I’m just trying to see if my friend was incorrect or not,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she said, and Yuzuru sat back in his seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’d be the first that I’ve ever seen,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he admitted, with a little nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Definitely the first that he’s talked about so frequently.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina gave a little nod, sent a thank you his way, and turned to leave. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“One more thing. Tell Connor I said hello,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yuzuru said, just as Tamaki reappeared into the room. “Have a good night, Reina. Tamaki, will I be seeing you in a few moments, or do you intend to ride over with her?” Tamaki looked over to Reina, reaching out and grabbing her hand in his, then turned to his dad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll ride with her, if she’ll let me,” he smiled, giving his father a nod before quickly leading Reina out of the room. “If you’ll let me,” he repeated down to her as they made their way outside. She shot him a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but I’m not buckling.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, I guess I have to babysit you more often,” he said, giving her a little smile. He opened the car door for her and she climbed in, but only moved to the middle seat. He shot her a little look before climbing in next to her, and as soon as he settled himself into the seat, Reina dropped her head on his shoulder and reached out, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers, her eyes immediately shutting as she felt herself grow more and more tired. He looked down at her, planting a kiss on her head before resting his chin against her head, looking out the car window on the side with the empty seat. “How was the rest of the conversation?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was okay. Your dad said he had always wished that he and my mom had gotten to know each other’s children, so he said he was glad that he could have that chance now. So if I ever come back over, I have to come say hi to him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you next come over, I’ll remind you then,” he said, subtly exchanging her if for when. His thumb began to stroke her hand. “You really didn’t know that your mom went to Ouran?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really didn’t,” she admitted. “She doesn’t talk about the past often. Well, I think it’s kinda safe to say that she doesn’t talk too much in general. I think it’s also safe to say that my father didn’t know either, otherwise it’s likely that I wouldn’t have been sent here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cheers to your mom’s silence, then,” he said quietly, squeezing her hand a little tighter. “Sorry if that was too much for one day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll live,” she yawned, pushing her head into his shoulder just a little harder. “I wish you would have brought your uniform.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why’s that?” He mused, glancing down to try and catch a peek of her, and saw a small little smirk on her face, eyes still closed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could have just stayed the night again,” she mused, and he shook his head, squeezing her hand softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, I couldn’t have. I already slept over at your house, it’s your turn to come and stay at mine,” he declared, and she let out a little giggle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you inviting me to a slumber party, Tamaki?” She teased, opening her eyes to peek up at him, a grin flashing back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just may be,” he chuckled, as they pulled into her driveway. “We’ll figure out a date. Just not next weekend, remember!” He said, opening the car door and stepping out, reaching down and grabbing her bag from the car floor. She laughed a bit as she followed him out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t I be the one reminding you about that?” She asked, and he grinned down as he walked her up the steps. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too late, I already did,” he simply said, stopping on the last step, and planting a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Reina. And I’ll be sure to find a day on your schedule for you to come stay at my house,” he smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Find your favorite movie in the meantime,” she grinned as she opened the door, taking her bag from him, and slipping into the house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boys, clear your schedules next weekend,” Tamaki boomed across the music room 3 as soon as he entered the next day, Friday afternoon, knowing that no guests would be there yet. “We’re going on a birthday trip!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your birthday was last month,” Kaoru reminded him from a couch, not looking up from his phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not for me, you idiot,” Tamaki groaned, fully entering the room and setting his bag down in a lone chair. “It’s Reina’s birthday next Saturday, and I want to surprise her by meeting her there. She’s going on a trip with a friend to Nagoya and let it slip which hotel they would be at. I want to make it her best birthday yet, so I need all hands on deck! They’re staying at The Tower Hotel.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, do you think that’s the best idea?” Haruhi asked from the other side of the room, already steeping some tea to be ready for her guest’s arrival. “You see her five days a week, don’t you think maybe she wants to spend time with her friend?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re all for surprises, but this one seems a little careless,” the twins said in unison, and Tamaki crossed his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’s it careless?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were never invited,” Hikaru explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which means the rest of us definitely weren’t invited,” Kaoru elaborated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Tamaki, don’t you think taking your band of friends with you to a different city to meet a girl at a hotel is going a little overboard?” Kyoya asked, though he was already looking up the hotel in question to see if there was availability for the weekend that they needed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said that birthdays suck, and I want to prove her wrong,” Tamaki finally admitted, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Listen, I’m not forcing any of you, but I’m going and I think it would be fun if all of us went.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No offense senpai, but I’m not interested in racking any more debt,” Haruhi grumbled, finally finishing up with her making her tray of tea for her incoming guests. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would be my treat!” He quickly said, hoping that it would change some of their minds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to go, Tama-Chan! I think Reina-Chan would really appreciate it,” Honey said as he came up out of nowhere, closely followed by Mori, who simply nodded. The twins exchanged grins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A vacation?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On the boss’s dime? We’re in!” Kyoya let out a sigh as he started the process to book the rooms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that means I’m next to agree,” Kyoya said, casting a look over to the last member of the host club. Haruhi looked around as she saw all eyes on her, and with a disgruntled groan, she slouched over at the waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, whatever,” she sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew my little girl would eventually agree!” Tamaki boasted, turning to Kyoya, who with a nod, booked the rooms. “So it’s settled. We’re going to surprise her, and make it her best birthday yet!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sora finally had made her way back down to the dining hall after a long week of taking meals in her room. Unbeknownst to Reina, she had been waiting on a day for Saito to come home so she could discuss with him privately before addressing anything to Reina. On that Friday night, when she came down the stairs to see Reina sitting at the table on her own, they both shared a little grin to one another. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sora! I’ve missed you this week, I have so much to tell you,” Reina smiled, and Sora gave a little nod as she sat, picking up some of the food to put on her own plate. Reina began to move through the parts of her date with Hiroto and parts of the dance that she was unable to explain in front of Tamaki, such as the dances she had with the twins and Tamaki, as well as what the twins showed her - which got a very surprised reaction out of Sora. She moved on from the weekend and started to go through more of her everyday life stuff, such as funny stories in photography, to some pesky assignments, all the way to the super condensed version of meeting Tamaki’s dad. Though, Reina left out almost every piece of vital information. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t know how old Sora really is, and if Yuzuru knew my mom, I don’t want to risk the same outcome. The possibility of Sora knowing my grandparents is pretty high, as well, which may end in an even worse conversation. I don’t need any conversations like that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina could tell that Sora seemed tired by the time their coffee and tea had come out, a nightly ritual that Reina had been skipping in Sora’s absence, so she quickly wrapped up all her stories after adding sugar and creamer to her coffee. “Sorry, that was probably way more than you needed to know,” Reina said sheepishly, giving Sora a tiny little smile. Sora shook her head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all, dear, I love to hear it all,” Sora reassured, taking a little sip of her tea. “I talked to Saito last night. I think you and I should have a brief discussion.” Reina’s eyes widened a little, but she nodded softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Am I in trouble? I’m sorry, I probably should have texted you to let you know Tamaki was going to sleep here,” Reina sighed, thinking that was the only thing she could have done wrong. Once again, Sora shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not in trouble, it has nothing to do with that. It has more to do with us, as opposed to you,” Sora started, casting a little glance at Reina, who furrowed her eyebrows a bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Am I getting kicked out? </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Saito should not have come to your room that night, and I apologize if that made you feel uncomfortable. He informed me that he just hadn’t seen much of you, with work and all,” Sora’s voice had a bitter tone in the last few words, but she pushed on. “He just wanted to check in with you, but that was not the time or place to do that, and I’ve reminded him of that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay,” Reina reassured with a little smile and a nod. “We just kind of assumed he had seen Tamaki’s shoes at the front door and wanted to make sure nothing was happening or something.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least, that’s what I had hoped.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s still not appropriate,” Sora said, then eyed Reina, though her expression was soft. “He hasn’t done that before, right?” She asked, and Reina shook her head softly. “Will you tell me if it does happen again? Or if he does anything to make you feel uncomfortable?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Reina nodded, giving Sora a little smile. “But I don’t think it will.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least, I </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>hope</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> it won’t. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“If anything arises, you’ll be the first I’ll tell.” Sora finally sent her back a little smile, then sighed very softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This probably isn’t information I should be leaking out, but I figure maybe you might know something about it. By any chance, do you go out the front door in the middle of the night?” Sora asked. Reina furrowed her eyebrows together and shook her head, getting another little sigh from Sora. “The front door sensor goes off at least once each night, as it should when my dear husband returns home from his long days at the museum, but last night was the first that Saito came into our bedroom,” she explained softly, but gave a little smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing. If you hear anything, or happen to see anything, will you let me know?” Reina nodded softly, a sad expression on her face. “It’s very likely he went somewhere else in the house. We have enough guest bedrooms, I must have just assumed he came to our room each night after I go to sleep. Silly me,” she laughed a little, but Reina could detect her sorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I promise, I’ll tell you anything I see or hear,” Reina nodded, giving Sora a little smile as her thoughts ran wild. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yet another example on why I will not be getting married</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Reina thought sadly as she watched Sora force another little smile in her direction. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Old Man (20)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next week passed by fairly quickly and Tamaki and Reina actually hadn’t seen much of each other. With their assignment done so quickly, they each would spend their time in the morning doing their own homework for other classes, mostly silently (aside from when he needed some more English assistance). Tamaki had spent every lunch with the host club, planning for the upcoming weekend. Reina had learned from her theatre class that students didn’t seem to be that closely monitored, so she had decided that with two essentially free periods, she could sneak home during study hall and lunch, so she had started to do that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thursday night, Reina had gotten an email from Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To: Reina</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From: Connor Duffy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Subject: Tomorrow!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey sweet girl</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m super excited about tomorrow. I should be leaving here soon to prepare for the airport and the flight, and once I land, I’ll be going straight to the hotel. Once you’re off of school, just call me and I’ll come get you if I’m still asleep and we can head to Nagoya from there. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t hesitate to text or call if you need anything or have any questions, I won’t be able to respond while on the flight but I’ll respond as soon as I land. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can’t wait to see you! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina had decided that since he would be tired, she would just stay at the school during her theatre hour to give him some additional time to sleep. She had stashed her duffel bag for the trip in her hardly used locker upon arriving at school on Friday, so had no reason to return home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last bell of the day rang so she gathered her things up from the table she was sitting at and shoved them all in her bag. She had already texted Connor to let him know that school would be ending soon, so she knew he had to be close. Reina walked outside of the classroom, about to head to her locker, when she stopped in her tracks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Standing in front of her was a tall man. His hair was mostly ginger, but it had a lot of grey sprinkled throughout it and he was wearing much more casual clothes compared to the sea of uniforms around them. He had a visitor’s badge sticker pressed against his tee shirt, and was grinning as large as she figured the man could. Despite the people around, Reina let out a huffy little laugh, and darted across the hall to tackle the man in a hug. The man laughed and wrapped his arms around her little body, lifting her a little bit and giving her a spin. Some eyes darted in their direction, but the majority of the students had seen the visitor’s pass and continued on with their walk out of the school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sweet girl,” the man laughed, speaking in English, giving her one more squeeze before setting her back on the ground. “You ready to go?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Almost. My overnight bag is in my locker. We just have to run there and then we’re set!” She responded back in English. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thankfully I got a little bit of practice with Yuzuru or else I might have just had a stroke speaking English again for the first time in a while.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Not sure if I set the meter long enough for all that,”</span> <span>Connor teased, grasping her shoulder softly and giving her another big smile, then nodded his head, motioning for her to lead the way, so she quickly did. The man trailed next to her, looking around the school in awe, watching as students studied him as they walked past. “They must not be used to seeing such handsome men.” </span></p><p> </p><p><span>“I think they’re not used to seeing such old men in a high school,”</span> <span>Reina laughed, and the man gave her a little gasp, clutching his heart. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Old? How dare you? I’m pretty young, given everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Given everything, except walking around a high school,”</span> <span>Reina laughed, cocking an eyebrow in his direction, to which the man finally gave a little chuckle, rolling his eyes, but no longer arguing. It didn’t take too long for them to arrive at her locker. When she opened it up, he reached down to grab it for her, swinging it over his shoulder quickly and then holding his arm out for her. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let us commence, child!” He declared teasingly, and Reina laughed, tucking her hand into his bent elbow and followed him out to the rental car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Girls slowly began to fill into the music room. Two girls, who were typically guests of Haruhi, stood near the door in deep conversation. Each of them would occasionally cast looks over at Tamaki, then quickly go back to talking before the charming blonde could notice. Haruhi had spotted her absent guests, so after quickly excusing herself from the other two girls sitting at her table, she headed over to the two by the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey ladies, is everything alright?” Haruhi asked, and both the girl’s turned to her a little startled, before turning their attention back to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” The blonde haired girl quickly reassured, and the other girl, with long black hair, began to nod her head vigorously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep! All is good here! Say, just a question. Isn’t Tamaki friends with that girl Reina? The one with red hair?” Haruhi furrowed her eyebrows as she turned back to Tamaki, whose head had perked up at the sound of his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah.. They’re friends. Why, is something the matter?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” They both laughed, putting their hands up in defense, but it was too late. The prince of the club had already excused himself and made his way over to the group of three. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Princesses, is there something I can help you with?” Tamaki charmingly asked, trying to make them swoon - which, of course, worked. The girl’s faces blushed up as they exchanged looks with each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, that girl Reina..” the blonde haired girl started, only to be nudged by the other to stop talking. Tamaki’s charm dropped slightly and he furrowed his eyebrows, glancing to Haruhi, who simply shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the pair of girls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing! We just saw something that seemed kind of weird, and thought about asking you since you know her, but it’s really not any of our business,” the black haired girl explained, smiling and trying to wave him away. Tamaki watched them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weird how?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it looked like she was getting picked up by someone we had never seen before,” she explained, and the blonde haired girl bit her lip a little, wanting to give up the rest of the information. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Princesses, Reina is safe. She told me that she would be spending the weekend with a guest coming into town. Don’t fret, lovelies,” Tamaki smiled, worry washing away. Finally, as if unable to hold it in anymore, the blonde girl shook her head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but a guy twice her age? At </span>
  <em>
    <span>least</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” She asked, only to be nudged in the ribs again. Tamaki’s worry came flooding back, and he turned to Haruhi, who also looked a little shell shocked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What exactly did you see? It could have been a chauffeur,” Haruhi reminded the girls, and they each looked at each other again, shaking their heads. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We passed by the theatre room when we left our last class, and we saw her run into him and hug him,” the black haired girl finally spilled, but it wasn’t enough apparently for the other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He picked her up and everything. We were just worried is all, with the age of the man and everything,” the blonde elaborated. Tamaki’s face began to pale a little bit as he went through all the possibilities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, ladies, but I’m sure she’s fine. You can head over to your desired host,” Tamaki was able to smile at them. The pair simply nodded as they turned away, giving a little nod to Haruhi in understanding that she probably wouldn’t be over right away as they headed over to the table she normally hosted at. Tamaki turned to Haruhi, still pale. “Her guest? Is what, some sort of creep or something?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t assume anything yet, senpai. I doubt she would be willing to travel with someone she didn’t trust,” Haruhi said softly, touching Tamaki’s arm, but it didn’t seem to help at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to go tonight. I know that we planned for tomorrow, but I need to make sure everything is okay,” Tamaki rambled, breaking from Haruhi’s touch as he began to lightly pace, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself, but needing to move as he thought. “If I left right now, I’m sure I wouldn’t be too far behind them. If they had to stop for gas or anything, then I would probably beat them. Even better, if they took public transportation, I would surely beat them. I’m sure the pervert doesn’t even have a car,” he continued, grimacing as he spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, calm down,” Haruhi warned, crossing her arms and letting out a little huff. “You don’t need to go into hero mode everytime something happens. Reina’s a big girl, I’m sure she can handle herself. She’ll be perfectly fine, and we’re going tomorrow, so you’ll see then. Why don’t you just call her later? To ease your mind? And if that doesn’t, then you could leave then,” she suggested. Tamaki stopped pacing, and let out a sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll just call her after I’m done hosting. You’re right. Thank you, Haruhi,” he said, taking a deep breath, before composing himself and heading back to his patient guests. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina glanced down at her phone, furrowing her eyebrows. “Hold on one sec,” she said, turning down the music that the pair had blasting, and then answering. “Hey, Tamaki. What’s up?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, princess,” his voice rang, trying to sound cool and confident. “What are you doing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m in the car right now, we’re almost to Nagoya. Why, what are you doing?” She asked, ignoring the glances and goofy faces from Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just about to leave the club. You’re driving?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not,” Reina laughed, physically turning her body away from Connor as he began to make even funnier faces, trying to get her to laugh. “But yes, we got a rental car.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to be eighteen to rent a car. Your guest is above eighteen?” Tamaki smoothly asked, looking around at all the hosts who were secretly listening in as they pretended to clean. Reina glanced back at Connor, who instinctively turned his head to stick his tongue out at her, and she almost let a laugh out, but held it in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Reina breathed out, composing herself. “Is something going on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I just wanted to talk to you,” he said, trying to listen to any background sounds, but only hearing the barely audible music that she had lowered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s sweet, but can I call you back later? If you’re up later, I’ll probably be free then. My guest will probably be tired by about 10,” she said, sending a little smirk over in Connor’s direction, trying to remind him of their earlier conversation about him being old. Connor rolled his eyes and quickly jerked the wheel in one direction slightly to make the car point towards the empty lane next to them, but immediately steadied himself. She let out a loud gasp as she reached across and slapped Connor’s arm hard, giving him a glare. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh my god, not funny,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she said in English, still on the phone, then immediately turned her attention back to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is everything okay?” He asked quickly, paling at the sound of her gasp. All of the host club members lifted their heads up to see Tamaki, who looked like he was ready to bolt out of the room and run to the car Reina was in on foot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m sorry, the car swerved,” she groaned, back to speaking Japanese. “Does 10-ish tonight work? Promise, I won’t forget,” she said, smiling against the phone. Tamaki stared forward, looking out the windows of the room, trying to figure out how far their current location was from Nagoya. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, my princess, that works. I’m looking forward to it,” he said softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Talk to you then, Tama!” Reina smiled, taking the phone away from her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh geez, is that a boy?” Connor said in English, right before Reina actually pressed the button to hang up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” Reina said, looking away. “And you did not succeed in making me laugh. I win. I told you I got better at that game,” she grinned a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only because of all the practice, so you’re welcome for that. I’m telling you, maybe you should just start laughing when I make faces. Those boys are gonna think you’re really cool if you’re laughing and having a good time with someone else while you’re on the phone with them.” He thought about it for a moment, then playfully grimaced. “I take that back. I don’t want any boys finding you cool until you’re thirty,” he teased, glancing over at her just as she rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sucks to suck, because every boy I have ever met in my entire life has found me to be cool. Every single one,” she joked, laughing, though Connor didn’t join in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, but you can’t find any boys cool until you’re thirty. That’s my compromise I’ll make with you,” he chuckled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki’s eyes widened as he heard the male voice from the phone. The call dropped, but he kept the phone at his ear, just staring forward. Finally, he dropped the phone down and stared down at it, debating calling her back and asking for answers, but decided against it. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh geez, is that a boy?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was able to decipher the words enough to sort of understand the sentence, though he wasn’t entirely sure that his translation was correct. He had absolutely no clue about the word ‘geez’, but seemingly understood what everything else meant, so he took it as loose knowledge. The two things he definitely knew was that it was a man’s voice, and that he definitely sounded older. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’d you hear?” The twins asked together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A guy,” Tamaki simply responded, then slipped his phone back into his pocket as he walked over to his bag, packing up quickly and swinging his bag over his shoulder. “Older guy. Kyoya, extend the reservation in one room for tonight as well.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, I can’t,” Kyoya said, not looking up from his computer. “Booked. Looks like you’re going to have to deal with going with the rest of us tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can the entire hotel be booked? Fine, find me a hotel for tonight, even if it’s not the same one,” he tried, looking over to his friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tama-Chan, did I hear that she’s going to call you tonight? I think she’ll be safe for tonight,” Honey quickly interjected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, if she’s calling you, she must be fine,” Kaoru pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She gasped over the phone, she sounded scared,” Tamaki said, remembering. The club listened in, waiting for him to continue. “She said that the car had swerved.” Both the twins groaned, slumping against the sofa they were on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now you’re just picking it apart. She’s fine, boss. You’re gonna talk to her tonight and see her tomorrow. You might just want to think about how you’re going to change your birthday plans. When we thought that her friend was a high school girl, brunch and massages sounded great. But I’m not getting a massage alongside some old dude,” Hikaru said, to which Kyoya nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it seems like we’re going to need to make some adjustments, but that’s no matter. We’ll all figure it out while we’re driving up tomorrow. Tamaki, you’re included in that, so we need you to wait until tomorrow to drive with us,” he ordered. “We had initially said 9 am to meet here, but let’s adjust that to 8, for a compromise.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of compromise is that?” Tamaki asked, eyebrows furrowed. “I want to leave tonight! Compromising an additional hour?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s the compromise I’m willing to make,” Kyoya said flatly, closing his laptop and tucking it into his bag. “Everyone should bring snacks, it doesn’t seem we’re going to be stopping during this trip at all, so come prepared. See you all tomorrow,” he concluded, before turning on his heel and leaving the room without another word. Tamaki let out a frustrated groan as the door closed, staring up at the ceiling, all eyes on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The man asked if she was talking to a boy, I think. It was in English, so I think that’s what he said,” Tamaki said out loud, eyes glued to the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Could it be her dad, senpai? Maybe she just didn’t want to mention it to avoid introductions or something,” Haruhi suggested, and Tamaki shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It doesn’t sound like she gets along with her dad very well. But I can’t explain any of that. It’s not my place</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s unlikely. Whatever, I’m going home, see you all tomorrow. Don’t be late,” he grumbled, clutching his bag tighter on his shoulder as he left the room. The hosts all exchanged looks, but began to gather their own items in preparation to leave as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once arriving at the hotel, Reina and Connor had left into their separate rooms. She had still been in her stuffy uniform for the entire drive, so she immediately slipped into a casual dress, then the two met back up to get dinner out. The majority of their meal, they talked about Sora and Saito, though Reina had left out the strange encounter she had with Saito when Tamaki had been over. She talked about their art museum, about what Sora had told her about their kids, and about how she and Sora had gotten pretty close. She tried to keep the conversation away from boys, especially about the one that had been on the phone just hours earlier, and it seemed to have worked for the most part. Connor was much more worried about who was housing Reina over anything else. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to mention Yuzuru, but we have the whole weekend, and I’m sure he’s tired. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Just like Reina had predicted, it was really only about 10:15 when they got back to the hotel, and Connor was already yawning, his eyes drooping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, old man, see you in the morning,” Reina laughed, stopping in front of Connor’s door with him. He rolled his eyes, but leaned down and kissed her head before lightly ruffling her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah. It has nothing to do with age, I’ve got severe jet lag,” he defended with a laugh, pulling out his room key. “Though, maybe it’s severe because I’m old, I’ll give you that much. I’m setting an alarm for about 10 am, if that’s okay with you. The hotel offers breakfast, so make sure you go get some, and then we’ll go have some birthday fun,” he smiled as he opened up the door. “Think about some things you might want to do tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need much, really, but thank you. We’ll just play it by ear,” she smiled, and he quickly nodded before slipping into his own room. Reina sighed a bit, turning around to head back to her own room. She got in and quickly changed into her pajamas, throwing herself down onto the king bed and looking up at the ceiling. She had almost been asleep when she remembered that she had a call to make. Looking at her phone, she saw it was already almost 11. Reina opened her phone and dialed Tamaki. It only took one ring for him to answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, it’s late, did I wake you?” She asked, glaring over at the light, a little frustrated that she didn’t turn it off before laying down. Tamaki, back in Tokyo, had been sitting on his bed for the last hour, just watching his phone in preparation for her phone call. He had given it about ten more minutes before he called her first, but she did beat him to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not at all. I wanted to talk to you before sleeping. What have you done in Nagoya so far?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing too interesting. We got to the hotel, changed, and went out to dinner. Now I’m just in bed,” she said, looking down at her hands. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he’ll take me to get my nails done tomorrow</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s your guest?” Tamaki asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In their own room, I’m assuming they are already asleep,” she said, dropping her hand back down to her side and turning her head further into her phone, away from the bright light in her face. Tamaki’s shoulders relaxed a little, hearing that they were in separate rooms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never really asked who your friend was. I guess I just assumed it was an old school friend. How did you two meet?” He pried, noticing the few seconds of silence on the other end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, wouldn’t you like to know?” She finally teased, trying to push past it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do,” he said simply. Another beat of silence reigned over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you another day, kay? Just remind me at some point in our lives. Perhaps, the day or two after I leave Japan?” She joked a little, pushing a laugh out. When silence met her, her smile dropped. “Just, not now, please. It’s a long story, and I’m kinda tired. Plus, it’s not really over the phone talk. Can you tell me about your day? I feel like I didn’t really see you at all this week.” Tamaki let out a little huff, but laid down against his pillow and nodded, though she clearly couldn’t see it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to tell you about my day, especially since we have a little bit of time to kill,” he said. Reina cocked her head, opening her eyes again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Until what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Until midnight. I intend to be the first to tell you happy birthday, so I can let you go after then,” Tamaki smiled. Reina let a little grin fall onto her lips, before closing her eyes as he started to go through his day, mostly talking about club activities, though leaving out the encounter he had with the two guests. He recapped a few other items from the rest of the week that he hadn’t had the chance to tell her, all lighthearted stories.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That all sounds fun,” Reina said by the end of it, a little yawn escaping her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you tired? Haven’t you been going home to nap in the middle of the day?” He mused, closing his own eyes as they continued conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I were to actually go to sleep when I came home, I definitely wouldn’t return for the remainder of the day,” she laughed a little. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows, though kept his eyes shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you just go home, to do what?” He asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stare into the void, close my mouth and not have to open it again until I get back to the school, think about every life decision of mine,” she joked. “Really, I just come home and watch some shows on my laptop or read a book or look at my emails or whatever. Never anything interesting.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t it be easier to just bring your laptop to school and do that there?” He pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess, but I don’t mind,” she shrugged, pulling her face away from the phone for a moment to check the time; 11:56. “Aren’t you tired, though?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little,” he admitted, resting one arm across his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you go to bed then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because it’s not your birthday yet,” he stated. She let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I won’t tell on you if you’re a few minutes early. Nobody will ever have to know, it can be our little secret,” she teased. Tamaki shook his head through the phone, though all Reina could hear was a little ruffling sound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the point, you would know, and that’s what matters. Tell me, what’s been the best part of your trip so far?” He asked, trying to buy up more time. Reina thought about it for a quick moment before letting out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The cliche answer would be seeing my guest. It’s been a while, obviously, but there is another part that I’ve really loved. It’s gonna sound a little stupid when I say it out loud,” she warned. “But it was listening to music in English in the car. It just felt a little weird to do it again. We all have drivers out here, and they all seem to just play the popular stations around here. When I’m back home, car rides are normally silent. Or, at least they seem that way. I think sometimes we have kid’s music playing for my siblings. It just felt nice to go on a drive and listen to music that I know and love, and to be able to listen to it and sing along to it as loud as I wanted.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that sounds stupid at all,” Tamaki smiled at the thought of her singing along to music. “What were you listening to?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing too interesting, really. Just some old rock songs that he put on a CD for the drive. Just some of the classic stuff,” she shrugged, not really noticing that she had let the ‘he’ slip. Tamaki, however, did notice, and although he already knew that was the case, grimaced a little. Quickly though, he snapped out of it and his eyes sprung open, looking at the time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina,” he said quickly, a grin spreading. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Happy birthday, my princess.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Tama,” she smiled, closing eyes a little tighter and wrapping the blanket around her softly. “That means you finally get to go to sleep.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It appears that’s the case,” he said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t want to hang up, but the quicker I sleep, the quicker morning comes and I’ll get to head over to see her. To make sure everything really is okay as she says it is. To make this her best birthday yet. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“But that means you get to sleep as well. Goodnight, my princess. I’ll text you tomorrow.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Two Talking, Four Listening (21)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span><span class="u">Chapter Twenty One</span> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The club was ready to go by 8:45, and Tamaki wasted no time by escorting them inside the limousine to get an early start on the road. As soon as the car began to move, Kyoya spoke first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think instead of coming up with a new plan, we go there and survey the scene first. Odds are, they have their own plans, so now here’s to hoping that we can join in on them, or find some gaps in between to make our own plans,” he said, pulling a pair of headphones out, hoping that the conversation would end there. Of course, it didn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you talk to her yesterday?” Honey asked, already beginning to pull a plethora of sweets out of his backpack, handing one off to Mori but resting the remainder of them in his lap. Tamaki nodded, turning himself to look out the window better, hoping to catch the signs that would tell him how far they were from Nagoya. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we talked for about an hour or so last night. She was fine, and we both went to bed after the phone call it seemed,” he admitted, not wanting any ‘I told you so’s, but the twins were the first to blurt it out. Tamaki simply rolled his eyes at them, gaze still glued out the window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you ask who the guy was?” Haruhi asked sluggishly, still tired from her initial alarm and last minute packing. Tamaki didn’t answer for a moment, which caused all eyes to fall back onto him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said it was a long story, and she would tell me another day,” he explained. Kaoru gave a little grimace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doubt she expects that day to be today,” he mused out loud, Hikaru giving a little nod. The club didn’t talk much after that. Haruhi sat in between the twins, and as she started to drift off to sleep, the twins decided they would join her. They rested their heads against each other’s, Haruhi’s right below theirs. Kyoya finally was able to push his headphones on and play his music, laying his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes. Honey and Mori were both enjoying the sweets, though one much more than the other, and Tamaki watched out the window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina glanced around the room she was in. After breakfast, she had asked the hotel concierge about morning activities in the area, and after a few recommendations, she picked out the pamphlet for a yoga class nearby. She had run up to her room and put on a black pair of leggings and a black sports bra, clothes she intended to wear for lounging in her hotel room at night, but figured that the outfit would deem useful. However, the scene in front of her wasn’t exactly what she expected - a bunch of old women. She grimaced a little as she scooped up one of the complimentary yoga mats, and after placing it near the back corner of the room, she took a seat on it and pulled out her phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: Is yoga typically an old lady thing in Japan? It’s pretty popular in America, but the only people sitting in this room look like they might get hurt doing any yoga</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki jumped a bit at the text, looking down at his phone, and almost letting out a little laugh, but held it in to keep himself from waking up any of his friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Fortunately, I don’t know too much about that. Maybe there’s different times for different age ranges? You might have missed the memo</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: I’d think that Saturday morning would be prime time for people our ages. At least I’m the cutest in the room :P</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: You were going to be the cutest one in the room anyway, my dear. Does the hotel offer it? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: No, it’s a few blocks away, but the hotel did recommend it. I still have a few minutes before it starts, and then I can let you know how it goes after the hour. You doing anything interesting today? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki calculated about how much longer they had before reaching Nagoya, and with a smile, realized that they would be pretty much pulling in as soon as her class was ending. Perfect timing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: I can tell you about it after your class. Enjoy it, my birthday princess :) talk to you in an hour. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In another act of impeccable timing, Kyoya pulled his headphones off and turned to Tamaki just as he hit send. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you figured out how we’re going to surprise her, then? I think it may be a little harder now that the guest isn’t exactly the person you expected,” he said, his voice soft, aware of the fact that the three first years were fast asleep. Tamaki shook his head a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but she just told me that she’s in a yoga class for the next hour, so I have that long to figure it out,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know the guy’s name?” Mori asked, even quieter than normal. Tamaki blinked, then quickly grabbed his phone back out to see if he could figure it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: What’s the guy’s name that’s with you? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina stared down at her phone for a long moment, trying to decide what to do. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe Yuzuru accidentally let it slip? Maybe he mentioned Connor, and now Tamaki is putting the pieces together? You know what, fuck it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: Connor Duffy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki felt his phone buzz and opened the text, expecting a snarky response. He was pleased, but also equally surprised to see the answer sitting right in front of him. He furrowed his eyebrows together, then glanced up at Mori, who had initially asked the question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said Connor Duffy. I didn’t think she would actually give me a name,” he admitted, turning to Kyoya, who was already dialing a number and pressing the phone to his ear. Tamaki turned back to the pair of cousins on the same seat as him, allowing Kyoya his privacy as he began a conversation with someone, assumingly someone who could give them some answers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know if that’s the correct name? Maybe she was just joking,” Honey suggested, and Tamaki shook his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think she would give me a fake name. When I asked her last night how she knew her guest, she just said ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ She could have just given me a fake story, technically. Especially after I pressed on, she could have told me that they met once in The Netherlands and I would have just taken that as the truth, but she said it was a long story and she would tell me later,” he babbled in immediate defence, as if he was defending her entire character with his speech. Honey gave a little nod, smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then that’s good that she’s truthful! Knowing his name is a good lead!” The little blonde haired boy beamed, to which Mori simply nodded. Kyoya gave a quick thank you into the phone before hanging up and turning back to the members who were awake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Connor Duffy seems like that might be the correct answer. His passport showed that he did in fact fly in this weekend. He’s the owner of a popular magazine in America dedicated to travelling, which seems to perform fairly well. Headquarters seem to be based in Los Angeles,” Kyoya said, pulling out his notebook from his bag and quickly jotting that, along with other pieces of information, down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina said that she used to live in Los Angeles, but she said she didn’t remember much of it since she was so young,” Tamaki remembered out loud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t her family own hotels and a travel agency? Maybe it’s a family friend, they might do business together!” Honey suggested. Tamaki glanced over at him, thinking about it, then slowly nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, that makes a lot of sense,” he said with a smile, still nodding. </span>
  <em>
    <span>All of that nervousness is gone! It definitely seems like a family friend. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kyoya flipped open his phone as a text came through, and he stared at the picture he had just received of the man in question. He blinked, studying it for a few more moments, then put the phone away without a word. The other three were too distracted to notice Kyoya’s confused expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It can’t be. I would have known that,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kyoya thought to himself, but shook the look away as Tamaki spoke once more. “Well now that we know his name, that’ll make everything much easier. Once we get to the hotel, let’s see if the staff will call him down or give us the room key to Reina’s room, we’ll explain that we’re there to surprise her. We can go in and decorate then. I’m sure he’ll be more than understanding, knowing that we’re her friends!” Tamaki beamed, a new pep in his step. Honey mirrored his excitement, asking about the types of decorations that Tamaki got. The conversation carried over up until the moment that they pulled into the hotel parking lot, and once the other three woke up from their nap, the crew climbed out of the vehicle and headed through the grand double doors towards the front desk. Tamaki strategically led them to the female concierge, who already looked like she was getting nervous in the presence of the handsome boys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good evening, mademoiselle, we need to pick up a room key from another guest,” Kyoya said with a smile. “We also need to check into each of our rooms.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can certainly help you with checking in, but unfortunately, I can’t give you anyone else’s room key without a form of their ID,” the woman said, eyes darting between all of the boys in front of her. The twins stepped forward, leaning their arms against the desk, giving sad little sighs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you this was a bad idea. He’s going to have the worst birthday now,” Hikaru said to the group, then turned to the front desk attendant, who was listening in. “See, a family friend of ours is here, and we wanted to decorate his room. We promised we’d make this birthday special, but we already messed up by not being here last night for him,” he sighed, looking down mournfully. The concierge glanced over to her coworker, who also had been listening, and the man gave a little shrug and a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I can help you out as long as I can get his full name and date of birth,” the woman quietly said, beaming as she saw Hikaru’s face light up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Kyoya nodded, giving the woman the information she needed, before giving her a charming little smile. The woman seemed to overlook the fact that the date of birth wasn’t until December.  “He has two rooms under his name, so we’d need both keys to ensure we’re getting into the correct one. I thank you so much for your assistance in this.” The woman looked up from the screen that had a copy of Connor’s ID on it to talk to the group again, but her eyes widened a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you’re looking to surprise him, I wouldn’t look behind you,” she whispered, but Tamaki did immediately. He saw a tall man walking out from the elevator, and his eyes widened immediately. The woman slid the room keys over to the group. “At least you know that he’s out of the room. Come back when you need to check in!” She beamed. Kyoya thanked the woman, but when he turned around, noticed that he was alone. The rest of the group had silently followed Connor, who had walked out the double doors and was standing in front of the hotel. The host club stood near a window, knowing that the windows were tinted, and they could stare as much as they wanted. Connor was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking back and forth in the directions of the sidewalks, obviously waiting for something. Tamaki’s mouth was dropped, and the friends around him didn’t look much different. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They… look so alike,” Tamaki finally said quietly. “The red hair, the green eyes, even their damn face shape is close to the same.” Connor was tall, obviously much taller than Reina, but what he said was correct. Their hair was the same shade of red, aside from the grey in Connor’s, and their eyes were identical. He had a bit of a beard, but it was groomed and definitely looked more professional than shaggy looking. He stood with a confident aura. Even as he leaned onto one leg, Tamaki noticed the resemblance in his and Reina’s stances. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he’s her uncle?” Haruhi suggested. “Genetics are weird.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or maybe her mom had an affair,” Hikaru simply said, Haruhi’s elbow digging into his ribs as the words left his mouth. “What?! It’s really probable. I mean, look at him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe all redheads just look alike. It rings true in our group,” Kyoya joked, actually getting a little chuckle out of Mori, but from nobody else. Tamaki went to say something, but was cut off when he saw Reina walking up, and his mouth shut instantaneously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could have told me you were going to go somewhere, I would have called you a cab or something,” Connor said, surprisingly speaking Japanese, so the group silenced to listen in. “I definitely would have gotten you one had I known you were going to walk around the city without a shirt on,” he grimaced, and Reina rolled her eyes. Tamaki’s eyes widened as he realized that, just as Connor had said, Reina was only wearing her leggings and sports bra.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s athletic clothing. Typically worn when, you know, doing athletic things. Did you want me to wear a jacket?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, yeah,” he said, cocking an eyebrow, looking at her as if it were obvious. “Come on, we’ll go get lunch, or breakfast. Whatever time it is,” he grimaced again, pinching the bridge of his nose, jet lag still hitting him hard. “After you change.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought this was a good birthday outfit, though,” she joked, giving him a little nudge, but his expression stayed the same, so she groaned and turned to walk inside. “I was just joking. You could have slept longer, you know,” she laughed, taking the steps inside, unknowingly walking past the group crouching behind a large plant pot to stay hidden. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m getting you some turtlenecks for your birthday,” he called out to her as she walked towards the elevators, then turned back to the road and just shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Teenagers, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought with a little sigh, but smiled lightly afterwards. Tamaki watched as the elevator closed, and he quickly stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So. I think we should split up. Some of us go and decorate her room when she gets back down, and some of us go to the restaurant that they’re going to,” he declared, turning back to the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I assume that you’ll be staying behind to decorate then, since it was your idea?” Kyoya mused, and Tamaki flared up in a red blush. Quickly, Honey interjected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Takashi and I will stay behind! I’d love to decorate,” he grinned, and Haruhi nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay too, and three people should be more than enough,” Haruhi smiled. Tamaki grimaced a little and turned to the twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you should stay here too,” he said to the pair, and they quickly put their arms up in an X shape. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No way, we want to eavesdrop,” they said together. Tamaki started to argue, but quickly pulled the group back down to the crouching position as he saw the elevator doors open back up, and Reina stepped out in her new attire. She was wearing skinny jeans that were cuffed at the bottom, some simple tennis shoes, and a faded band tee on top. The shirt was definitely baggy on her, so as she walked back to Connor, she did a little 360 turn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I look like a guy now. Better?” She asked. Connor turned to her, and dramatically, gave two chef’s kisses, then pressed his hands together as if in prayer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One hundred times,” he laughed, then rolled his eyes. “You don’t look like a boy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. Did you have anywhere in particular you wanted to go to eat at?” She asked, and he gave a little nod in the direction. “Walking?” She asked, as she began to take steps that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If that suits the birthday queen,” Connor joked, the two slowly disappearing from the host club’s sight. Tamaki arose first, then glared back at the twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, you can come. But if you do anything that may jeopardize the mission, I’m kicking you out of the restaurant myself,” he warned, each twin lifting a hand up to their forehead in salute. Tamaki turned to the three who were staying behind. “Decorations are in the trunk. Once you’ve received them, I already ordered a cake from a nearby bakery. The driver knows where. Either one of you can go get it, or the driver can get it on his own and bring it back. Good luck, men!” He said, and the three gave quick nods before heading off to the elevator. The other four gave each other little nods, turning into their stealthy mode, before exiting the hotel and following behind the two redheads walking ahead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just like on trips prior, Connor and Reina had decided to speak the native language of the country, unless in a hotel room or the car. They had both felt that typically speaking English in a tourist location can either make you look like a dumb American, or people will try to take advantage of you, so they always tended to just blend into their surroundings as easily as they could. They made it to the restaurant and once they were seated, they began their conversation again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you have any ideas of things you wanted to do today?” Connor asked, and Reina shrugged a little, taking the water cup that had already been filled in her hands. She squeezed the lemon that had been on the side of the cup inside before dropping the whole thing into the cup and stirring it up with her straw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I was thinking of a manicure, but I can’t imagine that would be very fun for you,” she said, sitting back in her seat. He simply shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I probably wouldn’t get one, but I don’t mind taking you,” he said. The four boys were ushered into the booth diagonal of the pair, though the only person facing the boys was Connor, and since he didn’t know them, they felt it was a safe enough distance away. They had already informed the waitress that they would just be getting drinks, and wouldn’t need much assistance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said you probably wouldn’t get one. Can I convince you to get matching nails with me? I was thinking like a pastel pink, how’s that sound?” Reina laughed, holding her hand out and looking at her nails dramatically. “Maybe some glitter, or some cute little floral designs.” Connor rolled his eyes, smirking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure. It’s only going to embarrass you when you have to walk around with me for the next day while I have pastel pink, glittery nails,” he pointed out, and she grimaced a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oops, true. Forget I said anything,” she said, quickly taking another drink of her water. Connor glanced down at her shirt and a little frown appeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What size is that shirt you’re wearing?” He asked. She glanced down at it, and then gave a little shrug. “I just want to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself. Are you eating all three meals a day?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, no. Dinner last night was the first time I’ve eaten in probably a solid week and a half,” she said, looking down at her nails again, a little smirk on her face. “But I threw it up last night so it doesn’t even really count, right?” Tamaki scowled from his table, but could remember seeing her eat in the last week, so chalked it up to a not-so-funny joke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh ha ha, super funny,” he sarcastically responded, shaking his head at her. “I just want to make sure that you’re healthy. You’re looking small, is all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I’m skinny?” She gasped, giving a big grin. “That’s my best birthday present right there!” Connor finally let out a laugh, but continued to shake his head at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ridiculous. Seriously, ridiculous,” he said, just as the waitress came over and began to take their orders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They seem close,” Hikaru noted, turning his head so he could see the table they were at. Tamaki was listening intently, not focusing much on the boys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kyoya, do you know anything else about this guy yet?” He finally asked, and Kyoya simply shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t. I’m not sure what else you’re looking for though,” he simply said, glancing over at Tamaki. “What more were you wanting to know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How Reina knows him, and why they look so alike,” Tamaki responded, eyes not leaving the table. Kyoya shook his head, pulling out his phone. “We’ve made our guesses, but I want to know for sure.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I only have so much information while relying on others, and on such short notice. I’m going to assume that we’re going to find it all out from Reina before I have the means to any of it, but I’m willing to make the effort,” he said softly, beginning to type out a few text messages. Tamaki rested his head against his hand as he watched the waitress leave the table, and the conversation continued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted you to be able to pick out your own gifts this year, since I was going to be here anyway. We should stop by some stores to pick you out some things,” Connor said, Reina swirling the straw in her drink in circles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really don’t need anything. I already have too much for my luggage when I return home, so a lot of it is gonna get left behind,” she shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re still here for a while, so I don’t care if it only gets used for the year,” he said with a little smile. “Is there anything you need?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want one thing, but you’re got going to get it for me,” Reina grumbled, picking up the lone straw wrapper and shredding the paper, just to keep her hands occupied. Connor raised an eyebrow at her. “You could fill up my liquor stash. The drinking age here is 20, but the last two places I lived, it was 18. It was much easier to have an upperclassman bring me some.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even know why you admitted that to me,” Connor mused, shaking his head and sitting further back in the booth. “Keep dreaming, kid. Think of something else.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like I can get in trouble for it now,” Reina laughed a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure your mom would say otherwise. I could definitely tell on you,” he said, but when Reina’s face dropped, he shook his head. “I won’t, don’t give me that look. Speaking of which, any birthday call or text?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I got a call and a few texts,” Reina smiled, looking back down at the demolished straw wrapper and letting her lips fall back into a frown. Tamaki gave a little grin from the booth he was in, knowing he was the call. Connor, however, furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what I meant.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re busy,” she said softly, giving a smile. “Plus, it’s not even my birthday yet in America. It’s the kid’s bedtime, just about, so I’ll probably hear from them later tonight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did they call last year?” He asked, shaking his head a little as he remembered back to the year prior. The four hosts listened in for Reina’s response, but only heard silence. After a few moments, she spoke again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Man, you’re always looking to create chaos,” she joked, laughing a little. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a day. I don’t hear from them the other 364, I don’t need any special treatment today. You’re here, we’re supposed to be having fun,” she said, then glanced up as she saw the waitress heading over. “Food’s here. Such perfect timing,” she mused, giving Connor a big smile, but he still didn’t seem convinced. “Hey, I thought of something. I could use more casual dresses, or just some leggings or something, but I don’t really know where to get stuff like that around here. A friend of mine and I are supposed to be decorating my room, so I don’t know, some kind of room decor. If you have any ideas, that would work. Like I said though, I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything. The trip was more than enough.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we can find something like that,” he said after thanking the waitress, then turned to look down at his phone. “Would you mind if I made a call really quickly? I called Carrie as soon as I landed, but forgot to tell her that we made it to Nagoya.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go ahead,” Reina smiled, picking up a chip from the plate in front of her. Connor gave her a smile and stood, stepping away from the table and headed towards the boys. They all froze. The twins each picked up a menu that had been left with them, in case they changed their mind on the food, pretending to look through it. Tamaki almost slid under the table out of fear, but Kyoya just sat, watching as Connor’s smile dropped and he pulled out his phone, vigorously typing. He stopped somewhat near the host’s table, but far enough out of earshot from Reina, and held the phone up to his ear. After a moment, he began to speak, subconsciously still speaking Japanese. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know what day it is in Japan?” A pause. “It’s your daughter’s birthday. Thought you might need a reminder.” His voice was aggressive, and he crossed one arm over the one holding the phone up. He furrowed his eyebrows together, then after a quick eye roll, switched to English. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, you forgot last year. Maybe you don’t realize, but she actually does love you and wants to know that it’s reciprocated. One day out of the year, that’s all I’m asking. I don’t think that’s a lot.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Another pause. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t know, Kimi. Just call her, seriously. I’m not arguing with you, I’m just asking you to wish your daughter a happy birthday.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He made a frustrated little groan, cautious not to be too loud, before snapping his phone shut and taking a little breath. Quickly composing himself, he turned back towards the booth to rejoin Reina. “Carrie says she wishes you the happiest birthday. April was already asleep, but they’ll both call back later.” The four boys exchanged looks, then turned back to the table when they heard a phone ringing. Reina looked down at her phone, blinking, then looking back up at Connor. She looked a little confused, but she answered the phone, immediately switching over to English. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hello?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A brief silence ensued. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you, mom… Yeah, I’m doing good… No, I’m good on money, but thank you. Oh, okay, well I’ll just talk to you later. Love you,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she hung up the phone, then glanced back up at Connor. “You called Carrie, huh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you really think your mom listens to me?” He laughed, giving her a little smile. “I’m glad she called.” The host boys quickly ducked down to start their own conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I only picked up on a little bit of it,” Tamaki admitted, damning himself internally for not taking English classes earlier in life. “All I really could make out was Reina saying thank you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he must’ve called her mom or dad. He said that it was their daughter’s birthday,” Hikaru pointed out. Tamaki nodded a little, thinking back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure I heard him say Kimi, and that’s her mom’s name,” Tamaki concluded, looking back at the table. The pair were now eating mostly in silence. “That was such a short conversation with her mom.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even shorter than the one Connor had just had with her,” Kyoya pointed out, checking his phone again to see if anyone had reported back to him with any information, but saw nothing so tucked it back into his pocket. “He seemed quite angry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s an understatement,” the twins said together, a mirrored eyebrow raised. Tamaki’s eyes were glued to the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was her mom not going to call her on her birthday?” He pondered out loud, eyes glazing over, looking at the little bit of Reina he could see from behind the seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounded like she had missed it in the past,” Kaoru nodded a little. “But that could have just been due to the time difference.” Tamaki grimaced a little, thinking back to that conversation they had heard between Reina and Connor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She said busy again, just like she had with me. There must be more words for what she’s thinking than busy,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, let’s talk about the surprise,” Kyoya interjected through Tamaki’s thoughts, and the blonde quickly nodded. The group quickly began in quiet conversation, deciding that Tamaki would text Reina after they left the restaurant to see what her plans may be, and they would head back to the hotel and either wait until she came, or they would maybe go meet them at their next plan depending on what it was. Kyoya wasn’t in love with the fact that nothing was planned out correctly, but he chalked that up to not assisting Tamaki in this plan, and made a mental note to be the official event coordinator, even outside of club events. The four boys hadn’t noticed Reina and Connor finishing their meals until they watched Connor wave down the waitress, card in hand. Tamaki and the twin’s eyes both widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to pay first, there’s no way that Reina isn’t going to see us when they walk towards the door,” Tamaki said quickly, immediately trying to push past Kyoya, who was on the outside of the booth, immediately pulling cash out of his wallet and trying to flag down another waiter. It felt like a race. A waitress rushed over to Connor and Reina’s table first, taking the card in hand and giving them a smile, before noticing Tamaki and rushing over as well. “This is for the drinks, and keep the change, my dear,” he said quietly, giving her a quick smile, but the woman quickly shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I couldn’t accept it! Allow me to go get some change and a receipt for you,” she smiled quickly, then rushing out of sight to handle the two bills. Tamaki grit his teeth together, glancing between the three boys, who all just shrugged a little and stayed put. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can out run them, boss,” Hikaru reminded him. While the boys were having their own conversation, they were unable to hear Connor calling for a cab, saying he was far too tired and full to walk back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you need to take a nap? I don’t mind, I think I still need to shower after yoga,” Reina said, giving him a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not a full nap, but maybe just going and laying down for a half an hour or so. If you want to go get your nails done and go shopping after, then we can go then,” he said, giving her the same grin back. “I think maybe you were right, maybe I am getting old.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I was right,” she laughed. The waitress came back, handing Connor back his card, along with a receipt and a pen for his signature, then headed over to hand the change back to the antsy blonde, who after a quick thank you, escorted the three others quickly out of the booth and practically pushed them out of the restaurant. At that exact moment, Connor glanced down at his phone and smiled, standing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our driver is here,” he said, holding a hand out to Reina to help her out of the booth. She accepted, letting him pull her to her feet, going a little extra limp to get a laugh out of him. They made their way outside, just as the four boys began to jog down the road. Connor opened up the cab door, climbing in and pushing to the other side, giving Reina room to climb in. They began to drive, and almost immediately, Reina’s eyes turned to look out the window. She quickly noticed the four boys running, taking notice of the two redheads trailing ahead. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s kinda weird. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say those look like Tamaki’s friends. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She took a closer look, noticing the back of a blonde head, and instinctively slapped her hand over her mouth. “Something wrong, Rei?” Reina blinked a few times. As the car passed the boys, she instantly pushed her entire body to look out the back window, eyes still widened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It is Tamaki and his friends. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Reina, is everything okay?” Connor asked again, worry falling all over his voice. She gave a quick nod, sitting back in her seat the correct way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” she said, though her voice was frail. She turned to Connor, who was still concerned over the panicked girl. “I think our weekend got a little weirder, though.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. A Cute Guy in the Hotel (22)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Two</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Connor said softly. “Weirder, as in…?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think some of my friends are here. Well, a friend, a classmate, and their friends. I just saw four of them,” she said, immediately pulling out her phone to see if she had missed any texts or anything, but she hadn’t. “My friend was the one that recommended Nagoya to me, so he knows I’m here. I asked earlier if he was doing anything fun today, but he said he would tell me later,” she quickly said, a little too fast for her normal pace, nervousness starting to kick in. “He’s the one that called me last night in the car.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I have to deal with a boy for the rest of the weekend?” He teasingly said, nudging her a little. “That was sweet of him to come surprise you. So him and some girlfriends?” Reina stayed silent, staring forward. “Okay. Other guys?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw him and three other guys, but if I had to guess, I would say the other three aren’t far off,” she said, blinking a few times, before giving Connor a half-assed little smile. “So, you’ll have to deal with seven boys for the rest of the weekend, if what I saw was correct.” Connor gave a little nod, eyebrows furrowing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re friends with all seven?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m acquainted with all seven, yeah. I’m really only that close with the one, but the rest are all super nice,” she nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was going to happen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Clearly. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually seen you scared about a social situation,” he chuckled a little bit, shaking his head at the girl next to him, who was still shaking a little bit. “It’s okay! I’m glad you have friends here, Rei. Now the only problem is going to be finding some fun stuff to do with eight men and a girl. Your nails might have to wait.” Reina nodded, then as she realized something, let out a loud groan, sinking into the car seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still look like a boy!” She wailed, covering her face with her hands. Connor simply rolled his eyes, patting her knee once. She quickly pulled out her phone, just as the car was pulling up to the hotel. “How do I even go about this?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call him, I guess. Your friend, that is,” he shrugged, reaching over Reina to open the door on her side, guiding the frantic girl out of the car. He quickly thanked and paid the driver, then climbed out himself. “If I know you, you know how to turn a situation like this into something funny,” he pointed out. With a little nod, and a new pep in her step, she grinned up at Connor as they walked into the hotel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Just follow my lead, I think I may have something that might not be as awkward,” she said softly, pulling the tall man with her towards a window, hidden from the front doors. Ironically, it was the same hiding spot that the host club had taken on earlier. She pulled up Tamaki’s contact and called him, pressing the phone to her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki and then men were only a street over when he got the phone call. He slowed his pace down a little, turning to the others who glanced back when they heard his phone ring, and he gave a quick nod before answering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, my birthday princess! What are you doing now?” He asked, trying to control his breathing, as if to not sound like he had just been darting down streets towards the hotel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” she mused. “You said you were gonna tell me what your day’s plans were after my yoga class. What are you up to today?” She asked, glancing up at Connor for a moment, before looking out the window. The boys had all stopped running and moved back to a normal pace, and if Reina looked far enough, she could see them approaching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m keeping the day open, just playing it by ear,” he laughed a little, eyes widening a little at his friends, who all were just listening in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha. Have you done anything at all this morning?” She asked, still peering out the window, watching as they came even closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably not anything you would find very interesting,” he said, walking ahead of the rest of his friends as they approached the hotel and completely shifted to strolling now that they were inside, trying to be wary of indoor etiquette. Reina motioned for Connor to stand and walk with her. “What about you, my princess?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly,” she said, walking up to stand next to the twins and Kyoya. As their eyes widened, she put a finger up to her lips, motioning for them to be quiet. “I saw a cute guy in my hotel, I might check it out and see what he’s doing for the rest of the day?” Both twins almost let out a laugh as they watched Tamaki stiffen from the back. Kyoya and Connor both had little smirks on their faces as they walked silently behind Reina, who moved a little bit ahead of them to stand behind Tamaki. He reached out once at the elevators and pressed the up button, the doors immediately opening, and he stepped inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?” He asked softly, turning towards the buttons inside the elevator, drawing an immediate blank on which floor he needed to go to after her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm. I think he needs to go to the third floor, though, since that’s where I’m headed. Can you press that button for me?” She asked as she stepped into the elevator with the rest of the boys. Tamaki blinked, eyes still on the buttons in front of him, only processing that his friends had joined him. “Nevermind, I can do it,” she mused, stepping in front of him to press the button, before turning to the blonde. He blinked a few more times, trying to process what was happening, before quickly paling and dropping his phone down to his side, right as the elevator doors closed behind the six people. “Hi, Tamaki. Surprise to see you here,” Reina said, the twins and Connor each letting out a little suppressed snicker. After a few more quick blinks, Tamaki gave a little laugh and gave her a large smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, surprise!” He said, clearing his throat a little and turning to Connor, giving him a little nod, still pretty pale. Connor gave a little smile, though it was more in Reina’s direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My rest can wait until after introductions,” he said simply, giving a nod back to Tamaki, who almost shuddered in fear. The elevator doors opened again, and the four others stepped out first, leaving Tamaki and Reina alone for a slight moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did really surprise me, just unfortunately not on your terms,” Reina said softly, reaching out to grab Tamaki’s hand and leading him out. The four were ahead of them, the twins leading ahead to bring them to Reina’s room. “You should have seen my face when I saw you four running down the street. I think Connor thought I was dying or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish I would have seen that,” Tamaki said softly, letting out a breathy little laugh, his hand sweating lightly. She glanced up at him, but decided against saying anything else when she saw the twins stop in front of her door, as if standing guard. They had already sent a warning knock at the door, letting the other three know that the reveal was about to happen. As everyone crowded around the door, the twins grinned as they swung it open. The three inside all had party blowers hanging out their mouths, and gave them a quick blow as the twins and Tamaki each let out a loud ‘surprise’. Reina’s eyes glossed over and she squeezed Tamaki’s hand that was still intertwined with hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is all really sweet,” Reina said softly, smiling around at all the guys in front of her. “You didn’t have to do any of this!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We wanted to,” the twins said together, ushering everyone into the room before walking in themselves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We even got a cake, Rei-Chan! Happy birthday!” Honey said, giving a big grin. Everyone in the room turned their attention to Connor, who cleared his throat a little, and Reina quickly jumped in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, thank you guys. I’m really grateful. This is Connor,” she said quickly, then turned and pointed to each person, giving Connor their names. Connor’s eyebrows furrowed, only counting six boys, as Haruhi was wearing girl’s clothing, but didn’t mention it and quickly replaced it with a smile. When Reina got to Tamaki, she deliberately left out his last name. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s a later conversation</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “When did you guys all get here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We left this morning,” Tamaki informed, leading Reina over to the table that was in the room as Mori began to cut the cake, setting each slice on one of the disposable plates that Tamaki provided. Mori handed her the first plate, but she turned around and handed it to Honey, who had been patiently waiting, then took the next from Mori and continued to hand them out to other people in the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it a day trip?” She asked cautiously, trying not to sound like she was pushing them away, just out of curiosity. Kyoya shook his head, giving her a little nod as she handed him a plate of cake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We booked rooms for the night, so we’ll be leaving tomorrow. I’m not sure if that’s the same timeline as you and Connor have set,” he admitted. Reina gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have school, and he has work, so I guess we’re all headed back at the same time,” she smiled, turning back and taking another plate from Mori to hand to Connor. Finally, as it got to the last three pieces, she handed one off to Tamaki, took one for herself, and kept the last in front of Mori, giving him a genuine smile. “Thank you for doing that, I appreciate it,” she said, making eye contact with him. He studied her for a moment, before giving a little smile and a nod. Everyone in the room had taken their own seats, barring the last three to get their plates, and they quickly headed to the last spots available in the room. Honey and Haruhi had taken a seat at the four person table that Mori had been cutting the cake on. The twins each took a seat on the couch inside the room, Connor took his place in an armchair, and Kyoya sat in the armchair mirroring Connor’s. Scanning the room, Reina had decided it was only logical for her to take a seat on the corner of the bed. Tamaki, though wearily, joined her and sat on the bed, taking a little glance over at Connor before doing so. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, how does everyone know one another?” Connor asked. Though he had been briefed a bit by Reina, her explanation had been masked by her nervousness and speedy talking, and he wanted to hear from their perspectives. Tamaki cleared his throat, setting his fork back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kyoya and I are in the same class as Reina. The remainder of us are all in the same club together,” he explained, giving the man a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. What club might that be?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a host club,” Kyoya started, setting aside his half eaten slice of cake on the coffee table and quickly wiping his lips with a napkin. Connor blinked a little, turning to Reina for an explanation, but Kyoya clued him in. “Essentially, we all host girls in our afternoons. Spend time with them, have tea with them, just listen to them and such.” Connor nodded a little, setting his now empty plate down on the coffee table in front of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So is that a popular thing now, in this age range? I’ve just never heard of it,” he admitted, sitting back in his chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This club was the first we had ever personally seen of it,” the twins said together, before taking another bite. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s cultural, right?” Reina asked, glancing around at everyone. “I hadn’t seen one at any of my other schools, either.” Kyoya gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be correct, it is typically a Japanese thing,” he informed the two, and Connor immediately nodded, giving a little grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting! Maybe I need to look into that. It’s definitely an interesting concept,” he admitted, which made Tamaki light up a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you think so, sir!” He beamed, straightening his back a little. The twins glanced at each other, then gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think the real question we’re all wondering,” Kaoru started. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is, how do you two know each other?” Hikaru finished, motioning with his fork between Reina and Connor. The two exchanged a little glance, as if trying to read each other’s expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I thought it would be kinda obvious. It’s hard to hide it when we look as twin like as those two,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Connor quickly said in English, still not wanting to reveal anything if Reina didn’t want him too. She scrunched up her nose and peered up at the ceiling as she thought about it for a moment, then gave a little shrug to Connor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“If they’re your friends, and you trust all of them, then go for it. You know that I’m not the one that minds.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina gave a little nod, then looked back around at everyone, who was watching in curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Connor’s my dad,” she finally said, giving a little nod. She saw some eyebrows kick up, so she decided to elaborate. “I’m sure someone had already done research on me,” she said, glancing over at Kyoya, who simply gave her a little nod. “But Connor is my biological dad. Eric Thompson is simply my step dad,” she explained, turning to the dumbstruck Tamaki. “Most things I’ve told you about my dad, was actually about my step dad.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw man, you talk about that guy more than me?” Connor teased a little, but Reina just rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, nothing great. Just didn’t want him to dislike you,” she said, giving Connor a little smile. “So you’re welcome. I kinda thought it was a little obvious that we were related, so that’s why I didn’t say it outright. Sorry about that,” she said to the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we figured you were related, but I guess we were all a little confused on why you call someone else your dad, and why you hadn’t mentioned you would be seeing your dad,” Haruhi said softly, and a few members gave a little nod in agreement. Reina bit her lip, setting the mostly full plate behind her on the bed, catching the fact that Tamaki was still watching her. She glanced back over at Connor, who once again, just shrugged a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a weird situation, is all,” Reina said, looking back up at the ceiling in thought. “I mean, the easiest way to explain it would be to just say it’s business reasons. Publicity, honor of the family name, whatever you want to call it,” she listed off, still not trying to reveal too much. Connor jumped in, trying to take the pressure off his daughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her mother and I were married, and then after some things happened, we divorced while she was pregnant with Reina. She shortly after married Eric, and they raised her together for a few years. When I came back, I wasn’t on the birth certificate. I was going to go to court to fight to get my name on the birth certificate, but Kimi - Reina’s mom - got me with a lawyer and informed me that if I didn’t make anything into a scene or try to take Eric off of her birth certificate, they would let me see Reina. So, in fear of not being able to get the custody I was hoping for, took their deal,” he explained, giving a little nod, glancing around the room with a little smile. “Eric and Kimi’s family, they’re a bit - ” he grimaced, but Reina just shook her head, so he decided to scratch the sentence altogether, hoping nobody would notice. “That deal that I made also applied to Reina not ‘causing a scene’,” he said, doing air quotes, still grimacing a bit. “She was told all her life that she had to refer to Eric as her dad to others, even her friends, so that it didn’t get back to anyone that he wasn’t actually her father. It’s been ingrained her mind since before she could even really have friends,” he laughed a little bit. The host club all stayed silent, all just nodding a bit here and there throughout his story. “I think you all are the only people Reina has allowed that secret to be told to, so don’t feel bad for not knowing any sooner,” Connor quickly said, giving a smile to Reina who looked pretty nervous. Tamaki, who had set his plate down long ago, reached over and cupped his hand over Reina’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I find it a little interesting, I never saw anything about Reina’s mother having any previous marriages,” Kyoya thought out loud, not looking at anyone in particular. Reina concealed a little laugh, both over the idea of Kyoya’s pride being a little shot over not being able to locate that information, and at Connor as he nervously scratched his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kimi and I’s marriage was pretty quiet. Quite the scandal,” he mused, though not elaborating. Everyone wondered what that might have meant, but nobody seemed willing to ask. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense,” Haruhi finally said, turning to Reina, and gave her a smile. “We can keep your secret. You know we’re good about that?” She joked a little, glancing down at the women’s clothing she was wearing, and Reina shot her a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, at this point, I just have to hope you’re right,” she laughed a little. Connor stood from his seat, giving a little stretch, then turning to the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina has reminded me several times in the last 24 hours just how old I am, and I have to agree with her at this point. I need to go get a few more minutes of sleep in. She discussed a few options for the day, but I’m not sure those options are suited for a bunch of boys, so maybe let’s think of some things to do and congregate back here in about an hour?” Connor suggested. Kyoya stood from his seat and gave a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should probably check into our rooms now, anyway. An hour sounds good. I’m sure we can come up with some options by then,” he nodded, the rest of the group now standing, except for Tamaki and Reina. Connor sent them all a nod, before turning and exiting the room, quickly followed by the rest of the club, none of them waiting for Tamaki who stayed seated. Once the door finally closed, the couple on the bed turned to one another. Without a thought, Reina jumped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He stumbled a bit, but quickly caught the both of them and wrapped his arms around her waist, a little confused but returning the tight hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For the record,” Reina quickly said, taking the opportunity to speak to him before he could start talking. “I think this plan was really sweet, and I really appreciate it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything for my princess,” Tamaki said softly, resting his head against hers softly, before she finally pulled away and stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to shower, but I shouldn’t take long. You can come back, if you want, whenever you’re done checking into your own room,” she said, walking over to the table and grabbing a spare room key off of it and handing it off to the man who was now standing. He tucked the key into his pocket and gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ll see you in about ten minutes,” he smiled softly, before heading out of the room to gather his belongings out of the car, trying to finish his tasks as quickly as fast as he could so he could return as soon as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Tamaki returned to Reina’s room, she was sitting on the floor in front of a floor length mirror, applying her makeup. She was wearing almost the same outfit as she had been earlier, but switched out her baggy tee shirt for an orange halter top that revealed a little line of her midriff between the shirt and the jeans. She sent him a smile before turning back to the mirror. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she said softly, pulling a line of eyeliner across the lid of her eye. Tamaki’s eyebrows furrowed and he walked over to her, taking a seat next to her on the floor, but facing her instead of the mirror. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you apologizing for?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really was going to tell you, but like I said, I didn’t feel like it was a conversation to be had over text messages. I’m also sorry that it probably put a damper in your plans. I probably wasn’t leading you to believe that I was going to have a guy, muchless an older guy, muchless my dad as my guest, so I’m sorry that I led you to believe something else,” she finally said, dropping her eyeliner back into her bag as she finished it off, and started to search her bag for her mascara. Tamaki frowned, resting a hand on her knee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t apologize, it’s okay,” he softly assured. “I understand why you couldn’t. Family situations are always kind of odd. Were you really going to tell me?” He asked, and Reina turned to him, nodding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I gave you his name, didn’t I? Though, I was kind of curious to see if Kyoya even could find any information on it. I feel that it’s a pretty secure secret, so I was going to be pretty amused if I had come back to school on Monday after texting you his name to hear that you already knew,” she laughed a little, before turning back to the mirror and concentrating on her mascara. Tamaki thought a little bit about his mom, realizing he had never explained that situation to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I should take the time to do that tonight. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I think there is one thing I don’t want to leave you in the dark about, though. I’m going to mention it at some point to Connor, and I figure you should know before I do so,” she said after finishing her mascara, dropping it into the back, then turned to Tamaki, who was sitting patiently waiting. She quickly stood, holding a hand out for him, and he obliged, standing as well. Reina led him over to the bed, then swiftly moved to the other side of it, sitting down on the confetti covered quilt. Once he sat, she laid her head on his thigh, one leg outstretched and hanging off the bed, the other bent at the knee, both arms draping across her stomach, hiding the midriff that the shirt showed off. Tamaki stretched his legs out, resting his back against the headboard, and he looked down at her. “Remember when your dad was sending you out of the room when I was over?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I was going to ask about that, but it sort of slipped my mind,” he admitted, one hand reaching down to grab one of her hands, the other softly running through her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One of the things your dad and I talked about was Connor. Your dad I guess knew both my parents, not just my mom, so I guess he was getting a little confused when I was saying things about Eric but calling him my dad. He asked me to say hi to Connor for him. Isn’t that kinda crazy, that your dad knew both my parents?” Tamaki gave a little nod, smiling a bit as Reina began to subconsciously play with his fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is pretty strange, I’ll admit,” he nodded. “How did your parents meet, anyway?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In Japan, on business,” she shrugged a little, her finger tracing the outline of his hand. “And I guess in a scandalous way. I never really asked, I’ve only picked up bits and pieces every once in a while. I know my grandparents had been investors in Connor’s business, though I don’t know if that was before or after the marriage or anything. My parents never got along, at least not while I was alive, so I never wanted to ask about their initial love story,” she said, then a thought dawned on her. “Tamaki, where were you guys running from?” He stilled, his fingers no longer toying through her hair. She let out a little groan, closing her eyes. “Were you guys eavesdropping at the restaurant?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if eavesdropping is the word I would use,” he said softly, cheeks turning a rosey pink and he quickly looked away from her. Reina sighed a bit, but her fingers still continued to trace his hand. “But yes, we were there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I guess you heard something really important,” she said quietly, opening one eye to look up at him as he turned back to her. “I need a hookup to get me alcohol. So if you had any suggestions, that would be amazing,” she laughed. He let out a sharp chuckle and immediately shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” was all he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw, come on, Tama,” she whined, pushing her bottom lip out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t help you even if I wanted to, I don’t know anyone old enough that I trust. I’m not sending you off to some pervert or anyone I consider a stranger for something illegal,” he said, pushing his eyes away from her pout. “That look won’t help you, I have nobody for you. Why do you need it anyway?” She blinked a little, staring up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does the prince not know what alcohol does? I need it to get drunk,” she teased, and he rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know what alcohol is used for!” He defended, shaking his head. “I’m asking why you need it. Normally you get drunk at a party or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everyday’s a party if you want it to be, baby,” she said, sending him a little wink, which caused his cheeks to blush back up. “I get bored on the weekends, and sometimes it’s just more fun to watch a movie when I’m a little tipsy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re bored on the weekends, why don’t you just come over to my house? Or invite me to yours?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you have life outside of me,” she laughed a little, moving her hand away from his and started to lightly scratch up and down his arm, feeling the goosebumps forming, but continued anyway. “If I called you every time I was bored, you’d never have a free weekend again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe that’s what I want,” he smiled, his fingers going back to her hair, pushing her bangs out of the way. She turned her head a little, her nose touching against his stomach, and she closed her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d get bored of me really quick, and I’d like to still be a little exciting by the end of the year. That’s how I keep my long lasting charm,” she teased, nails still running up and down his arm softly. “If that’s what you wanted, why don’t you invite me over every weekend? Or come over every weekend?” She retorted, moving her arm up to start scratching his bicep, and once again felt the goosebumps come up to the surface. With a feeling of satisfaction, she continued to lightly touch his arm, switching between her fingernails and her fingertips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I didn’t know you would be willing to spend every minute with me,” he said, resting his head back, closing his own eyes. He bit his lip quickly as her hand moved up, and bit harder at the feeling of her hand, trying not to make any noises. “But now that I know, good luck getting me out of your hair.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so,” she sang, smiling softly. “My dad might really like you more once he knows you’re a Suoh. From the way Yuzuru acted, it seemed like they liked one another.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to already have a good standing with your dad,” he admitted, closing his eyes even tighter as her hand moved to the back of his arm. “If I know him, then I’ll keep double tabs on you. I’ll call you both everyday,” Tamaki teased and Reina couldn’t help but let out a giggle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, I forgot about that. Nevermind, I don’t think he’ll like you, we’d better not mention who your dad is,” Reina joked, moving her hand back down to his hand and tracing his fingers again. Tamaki let a little laugh loose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, you’ll be in my life forever, my princess. I’ve made my way in,” he beamed, glancing down at her. It was the first time he noticed just how exposed she was in front of him. The halter top she was wearing was modest enough, but while lying down, her breasts had pushed themselves up and he could see a lot of cleavage. He blinked, noticing that she wasn’t wearing a bra, seeing her hard nipples under the thin material. The bottom of her shirt had moved up a bit with their moving arms, revealing a fair amount of her stomach. He quickly swallowed, and unable to really move his head, he closed his eyes again and took a shaky little breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we should be figuring out what we want to do today,” Reina said softly, her head still turned into his side. Tamaki opened his eyes again to look down at her, noticing her collarbone peeking through the straps, and his eyes trailed across her neck and jawline, both so open for him. He moved his eyes up to her pink, naturally pouty lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know what I want to do today,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought quickly, then winced a little at his own thoughts. He glanced up at the ceiling, trying to compose himself once more. “I don’t really know what your friends would have fun doing, and I’m pretty open to anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about the aquarium?” He suggested on a whim, trying to get his mind off of other things. “I know Nagoya has a nice one.” Reina opened her eyes to smile up at him, which he caught out of the corner of his eye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s a great idea,” she smiled, pulling out her phone to text Connor the plan, then quickly set it back down and looked back up at him. “You’re full of good ideas,” she said softly, taking one finger to trace up and down his arm. “What should we do in the meantime?” Tamaki blinked a little, glancing down at her to see Reina peering up at him with soft eyes, her lips still in their natural pout, her cheek now pressed against his stomach. He felt a soft shiver go down his spine, but he gave a weak little smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have tons of ideas of what to do, but you, dear, would not want to hear my thoughts right now. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you not enjoying this?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I am. I just thought you were bored.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should know by now that I’m never bored with you,” he whispered to her, his thumb softly stroking against her stomach. Reina gave him a little smile, before closing her eyes, her finger still tracing his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so.” Once Tamaki looked away, Reina let out a soft little breath, glancing up at him for a moment. She watched as his chest lifted up and down, a little heavier than it typically did. Her eyes landed on his face, watching as her hand moved further up his arm, and his head laid further back, teeth pushing into his lip. Reina glanced over at his free arm and saw it tensed up. She gave a little laugh, looking back up at the ceiling, even after seeing all the cues that wanted her to push on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Boys can be kinda dense sometimes. Unless, maybe he doesn’t want to do anything else. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought about it for another moment, before giving another little smile up at Tamaki, and closing her eyes again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe another time.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Operation Alone Time (23)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Three</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the hour long break that all the members took (mostly) to themselves, the group all met back up in Reina’s room. They all seemed on board about the aquarium idea, mostly because they didn’t have any better ideas themselves, so they all made their way down to the parking lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two are welcome to ride with us, we have more than enough room in our car,” Kyoya said as they reached the limo. Connor shook his head slightly, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it would be better if I took the rental,” Connor said. “I’ve had my time of driving around with teenagers, and I think I’ll avoid that. It’s hard enough with one,” he mused, turning to the girl who shot him a tiny shrug, a half smirk appearing. She then turned to Kyoya. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to make him ride alone, so I think I’ll skip out this time. Do you guys have the address?” She asked, to which he simply nodded, and she smiled. “Perfect! See you guys in about 20 minutes,” she said, turning to walk with Connor to their own car. The host club began to pile into the limo, taking their previous seats, and as the door closed, conversation started. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kaoru and I were talking about it, boss, and we’re a little confused. Connor said that Reina’s mom and step dad raised her alone for a bit before he came back into the picture. Does that mean he was just a dead beat?” Hikaru asked. Haruhi’s eyes widened at his wording, but she had been wondering the same thing, so she stayed silent this time in hopes to gain some answer. Tamaki, similar to Haruhi, widened his eyes, but for a separate reason. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I completely brushed past that part</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he mourned, frowning a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” he said simply, furrowing his eyebrows, frown still intact. “Maybe?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then are we still supposed to feel bad for him if he just chose to not be around for three years?” Kaoru asked, crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he didn’t want to be absent,” Honey pointed out, pulling another snack out of practically thin air. “Maybe he had no choice, Reina had said it was a weird situation and that it had to do with business, so maybe he really didn’t choose to be absent?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mori softly agreed, giving a swift nod. Kyoya cleared his throat a little bit, all eyes darting towards him as he peered down at his phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What Honey said seems to be the truth. One of the investigators got back to me, and though he didn’t have much information on the relationship between him and Reina besides what we already knew, such as the fact that Connor and Kimi had been married briefly, he did give me a little more insight into Connor’s background,” he reported, giving a quick pause - whether it was for dramatics, or to retrieve the text he was looking for was unknown - then began again. “Like I said before, Reina’s parents own the Lux brand, initially a travel agency and has since expanded to hotels. I had noticed in my research that the company hadn’t always been in the Yoshida family’s name - which, by the way, is Kimi’s family - but seeing as it’s fairly normal for families to pass down companies or for companies to be bought out, I cast it aside. My investigator reminded me that the original founder of the Lux brand was Connor Duffy.” All eyes widened, listening in. “Connor signed the company over to the Yoshida’s shortly before he and Kimi’s divorce.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why the hell would he give up his company, daughter, and wife all at the same time? That doesn’t make any sense,” Tamaki contemplated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it makes sense with the rest of the information I have,” Kyoya coolly interjected, shutting Tamaki up the inevitable tirade he was about to go into. “After doing a little bit of math, it looks like Reina was conceived in August of 1990, and in October of that same year, Connor was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Though, it sounds like he got out early, I’m assuming for good behavior.” The car fell silent for a few moments, before the twins exchanged looks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So her dad is a convict?” They asked together. Kyoya clicked into something else on his phone, quickly skimming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All that they sent me was that it was possession of a drug,” he said simply, turning to Tamaki, who was just looking forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That means that he didn’t intentionally leave,” Haruhi nodded, looking down at her hands that were laid in her lap. “Which is good, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eh, I don’t know if that makes it any better,” Hikaru argued, shaking his head a little. Kaoru nodded a bit in agreement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But we don’t really know which drug, or the situation or anything, so it’s a little hard to tell,” Kaoru pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ve been really honest, why don’t we just ask?” Honey suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that may be the best course of action,” Kyoya nodded, then turned to Tamaki. “I got the text right after getting to my room, so I was going to come tell you, but you weren’t in your room.” Tamaki blushed up a little and glanced out the window, taking a little breath to try to control his colored cheeks. The twins both quickly forgot about the former conversation as little smirks crept onto their lips. They each leaned forward, arms supporting them on their knees, looking over at each other. Haruhi sat in between them still, rolling her eyes a little once realizing that they were going to tease Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The boss wasn’t in his room?” Kaoru asked, pretending to be quiet, but obviously the whole car could hear the pair. “That’s so strange, maybe he went on a walk?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, that doesn’t seem right, Kaoru, I’m sure he would have told someone if he did,” Hikaru whispered back, taking a little glance at Tamaki, who was faced towards the window but peering over at the two. “Maybe he was in another room? Though I would have assumed that he would have gone to Kyoya’s.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but he didn’t,” Kaoru explained, suppressing a laugh as their banter seemed to irritate Tamaki more and more. He was now bouncing his leg, fingers lightly tapping against the seat next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t think of anywhere else he might have gone,” Hikaru huffed, hanging his head for a moment, before slowly lifting it to look right at Tamaki, making eye contact with him for a split second. “Well, come to think of it, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the first to get to Reina’s room. Do you think there’s a correlation there, Kaoru?” He asked, turning back to the twin, who acted like a lightbulb just went off in his mind, sitting upright. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right! Hey boss, how did you get to Reina’s first? I actually think that if I’m right, Mori and Honey’s rooms are actually closest to hers,” Kaoru mused, facing Tamaki outright. The blonde finally let out a groan, turning to the two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you two shut up?” He pleaded, but he only fueled the flame of the redheads in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you were in her room then, weren’t you?” Hikaru said, a smirk spread across his face. “You can admit it, boss. We’re not gonna tell anyone, you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And if I was?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it was really nice of you to stay with her, senpai,” Haruhi finally interrupted, the three turning to look at her. “She probably was a little overwhelmed after everything, I think it was sweet that you kept her company.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you trying to date her, Tama-Chan?” Honey asked from the other side of the car, causing Tamaki to nearly jump out of his seat, only to be saved by the seat belt around his hips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What makes you ask that?” He almost yelled, covering his mouth with his hand quickly, fingers spread across his bright red cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is a valid question. Never once have you sent us on a vacation on account of a girl’s birthday, no matter how high paying a guest they were,” Kyoya said, then turned to look at Tamaki himself. “Much less, a girl who wasn’t even a guest in the first place.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter that she’s not a guest, I want to make her happy either way,” he retorted, as if it were obvious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but why?” Kaoru questioned. “Because you’re trying to date her, right?” Tamaki sat still for a minute, thinking about it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I never thought of it all that way. I want to make her happy, and I want to be in her life, but I never thought about what my end goal was. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He shook his head quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it so hard to believe I might just want to make someone happy without wanting anything out of it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just out of character, is all,” Hikaru mumbled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you two would be cute together,” Honey gushed, giving Tamaki a grin, but Tamaki just blushed up again, looking out the window as they pulled into the parking lot. The second the car pulled to a stop, he was the first to exit, only to be stopped in his tracks once more. Reina and Connor were talking near the entrance of the aquarium, and she caught his eye instantaneously. Her back was pressed up against a pillar connected to the grand entrance of the building, her arms crossed against her chest and ankles crossed against one another. Tamaki’s eyes trailed and noticed that her arms were pushing on her breasts, her shirt was still revealing some of her pale skin to him, even with the distance between them. Her legs looked so elongated with her stance, and even as she was looking away from him, he could feel the confidence radiating off of her, causing the same thoughts from earlier to come sneaking back up. He took a shaky little breath as Reina noticed him, turning to give him a little wave and a smile, and he quickly forgot about the host club behind him as he headed up the steps to fill the gap between the two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beat you,” she teased. He blinked, then processed that she had meant. He let out a little chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That you did. As your prize, I’ll pay for your entry,” he smiled, but Connor shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got them already. There’s nine of us, right?” He double checked, pulling out all nine tickets, and handing two over to Tamaki and Reina, giving them a little smile, then turned to the rest of the host club, who had just barely started to start getting out of the car. “You two can go in now if you want, I can hand out the rest of them.” Reina turned to Tamaki and gave him a smile, standing up straight off of the pillar and holding her hand out to him. He sent another glance over to Connor, who didn’t seem to be paying attention to them anymore, before taking Reina’s hand in his, letting her take the lead inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The host club took a slow stroll towards Connor, all engrossed in conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we need to push them together any chance we get on this trip,” Hikaru said quietly to the group, glancing over at Kaoru, remembering how they had already done that briefly at the dance. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But this time, more.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Tama-Chan was already in her room alone with her, why do we need to push them together?” Honey asked, keeping his voice low. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because we know the boss didn’t actually make any moves on her,” Kaoru explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think it’s right to meddle in other people’s love lives,” Haruhi mumbled, casting glances at all the boys around her. The twins each shook their heads at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Kaoru said softly, leaning down, his face at the same level at Haruhi’s. “If he gets a girlfriend, he’ll be on our asses less.” Haruhi scowled, but after a second thought, closed her mouth again and didn’t argue anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should all take shifts, then. Switching between being with Connor and being with Tamaki and Reina,” Hikaru nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You plan to split them up?” Kyoya cocked an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well duh, how else is Tamaki going to make a move? He’s not going to do it with her dad looming around,” Kaoru explained, getting an understanding nod from Hikaru, Mori, and Honey. They finally made their ways to Connor, who handed out their tickets with a smile. “Hey, we’d love to hear about your magazine. I know Haruhi here reads a lot of magazines, don’t you, Haruhi?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah,” she stuttered quickly, not expecting to be put on the spot. “You know, when I have the time,” she smiled a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t even think of the last time I read something for fun, muchless a magazine,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s being modest, truly. She’s really into them,” Hikaru said, ruffling her hair as Kaoru moved to the other side of Connor, walking next to him as Haruhi took his other side, Hikaru trailing alongside her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, heh, yeah. What do you want to know?” Connor asked, eyebrows furrowing a little bit as the three led him in a direction that wasn’t the typical starting point, hoping that Tamaki and Reina hadn’t made it in this way yet. As the four faded out of sight from Kyoya, Honey, and Mori, the three boys turned to each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you two are for this plan, then?” Kyoya asked, glancing around the aquarium entrance that they were in. Honey and Mori both gave determined nods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes Tamaki needs help,” Mori reminded softly, to which Honey chorused a ‘mhm’ afterwards. Kyoya thought about it for a moment before sighing and turning back towards the standard beginning point for the aquarium. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something tells me that Tamaki may not be the only one who needs the help, but we need to find them in order to help either of them,” he thought out loud, taking the first steps into the maze. Deeper into the exhibits, Reina and Tamaki were walking slowly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just strange, I thought they would have caught up by now,” Reina mentioned, peeking behind her shoulder again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe they went in a different direction?” He offered, looking around himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ignoring all of the signs and arrows pointing this way would be a bit odd,” she laughed, and he let out a little chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, they are a little odd sometimes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” She mused, glancing up at him. “Did I just hear the kettle calling the pot black?” She grinned, swinging their arms a little bit, and he scoffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I’m odd?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do, but not in a bad way. Did you mean it in a bad way when you called them odd?” She pointed out, and he shook his head a little. “See? Same way,” she smiled, stopping to look at the exhibit in front of them. The row they had been walking through had mostly been orcas and dolphins, but the particular tank in front of them was a little different. “Look, Tamaki! It’s baby dolphins,” she grinned, nodding in the direction of them. He turned and mirrored her grin, watching as the four swam circles around each other, playing together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When I have kids, I’m hoping to have them close together so they’ll all play like that,” Tamaki admitted, watching in awe. Reina smiled up at him a little, squeezing his hand a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck with that, Suoh. Hopefully your wife is fine with being pregnant for years on end like that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well how do you want to have children? I think that having such a large age gap might be kind of boring,” he asked, breaking his gaze on the playing dolphins to look down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I want kids. Not biologically, at least,” she said, and his face dropped a bit. “I don’t expect to marry, so I’ve kind of decided a while ago that I would want to adopt. Even if I did have my own biological kids somehow, I would still want to adopt some children.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you expect to marry?” He asked, squeezing her hand as he began to walk past the current tank they had been staring into, and she quickly moved to walk with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Married couples hardly look happy,” she laughed a bit. “My parents divorced, and my mom and step dad are a whole different story. Even the homes I’ve lived in, only one couple seemed truly happy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t that give you a bit of an advantage, then? To know that you want happiness, and to seek that out?” He suggested, pulling her aside to look into another tank, once again full of orcas. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess that’s the difference between a pessimist and an optimist,” she teased, glancing up at him with a smile. “I mean, you’re technically you’re correct. What about you, though? You just mentioned wanting kids in the future, how many do you want?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least three or four, definitely. But I could probably have a hundred, given I could pay for them,” he grinned, and she laughed a bit, nudging him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I used to watch my twin siblings a lot, and two at once is a lot, so you might want to just work on having the first two before committing to one hundred.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You would watch your siblings?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Your parents didn’t have nannies?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, they did, but I still was expected to help with them. We had two nannies on staff at the same time, so one would watch my sister who was older than the twins, and the other nanny would be with the twins. So I was sent to help her a lot, since she had double the amount of work at the same time. I was just lucky I didn’t have to get up with them like the nannies did,” she laughed a bit, remembering. “Those boys never seemed to sleep. We had about five night shift staff members quit in the first three months after they were born. But you are right, having a smaller age gap is definitely more fun. My sister gets along with the twins well enough, but those boys are definitely two peas in a pod,” she smiled softly. They continued to walk again to the next tank, though neither of them seemed to be paying too much attention to them anymore. “By the way, it wasn’t a communication error the other night when I said I have four siblings. I do. Connor has another daughter.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew it seemed odd, but I was just wondering if your mom was secretly pregnant again,” he admitted, looking over at her. “What’s her name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“April,” she nodded, staring forward into the tank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And are you two close?” He asked. She tilted her head a little, in thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We call each other on holidays and birthdays, but she doesn’t really know about me too much, I don’t think. Connor claims that he tells her about me, but she doesn’t really know me, you know? It’s like talking to a distant relative for her, I think.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about in person? Is she shy with you?” He asked. She just gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t know. Never met her,” she said simply, turning to head to the next exhibit, but Tamaki stayed in place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean you never met her?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty much exactly that,” she laughed a bit, giving him another shrug as she turned back to look at him. “She was born around the same time as the twins were, which was when I started my Italian lessons. I moved to Italy a year later, and Connor has never mentioned me going to his house or bringing her or my stepmom out here or anything. It’s not something I’m going to push. I’m sure it’s hard for his wife to have some weird, distant stepdaughter that’s nothing but problems,” she explained, but then quickly defended. “I don’t think she’s the reason! His wife is really nice, it’s just a weird situation. Maybe once I’m out of high school and can coordinate stuff on my own I’ll be able to meet her one day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you and Connor have never talked about it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I went to their wedding and stuff, it was just a small ceremony. But once she got pregnant, I got busy and moved, and it just never came up,” she said, this time almost tugging him to get him to start walking again. “What’s that over there?” She asked, motioning over to a closed door that clearly looked like another exhibit, just hidden. He cocked an eyebrow, following her over to the area. On the door was a sign, listing off the ocean creatures that lived in areas of the northern lights. After reading the sign, still with some confusion, they exchanged a look before Tamaki pushed the door open and led Reina in, the couple immediately being illuminated in pink, green, blue, and purple lights. Reina looked up at the ceiling in awe to see a replica light show that looked just like aurora borealis. Tamaki was also watching up at the moving lights, leading Reina further into the room. It didn’t take long for them to notice that the temperature had also dropped drastically upon entering, assumingly to also loosely replicate what it would feel like. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I always wanted to go see the northern lights,” Reina smiled, still looking up, but instinctively moving closer into Tamaki as she started to get colder. “This is such a cute idea, this little room.” He let go over hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her bare arm for a quick second to warm her up. Glancing around, he noticed a bench in the room and led her over to it, then taking a seat with her, arm still pressed around her small frame.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want, I’ll take you one day to see the real thing,” he said, taking his other arm and wrapping it around the front of her body. She turned on the bench to face him, resting her head on his shoulder, and his arms slid around her back. She looked up at the ceiling, smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we do that one day, we should bring jackets,” she laughed a little, moving even closer into him. He chuckled, resting his cheek next to the side of her head, and giving a soft little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door had creaked open, but neither of them noticed. Kyoya, Mori, and Honey peeked in, then after a moment of watching, they pulled their heads back out from the crack in the door and walked back out, turning to look at each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe they don’t need help after all,” Kyoya examined. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Wingman for Two (24)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Four</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other end of the aquarium, Kaoru was trying to take on a secret task. After a little bit of work talk, he had found a little section of the aquarium that was filled floor to ceiling with tanks, and the way that they were placed around the large room acted almost as a maze. Kaoru peeked behind him briefly before grabbing Hikaru and tugging him behind the other two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure I just heard Tamaki’s voice behind us. You should stay in the area with Haruhi, I’ll handle Connor on my own, just keep them away from us,” he lied, but Hikaru just gave a swift nod, catching back up and grabbing onto Haruhi’s arm, beginning to tug her in a separate direction</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Haruhi, I want to show you something over here!” He called out, dragging the confused girl out of sight, while Connor just watched with wide eyes. Once the pair were fully gone, Kaoru rejoined Connor’s side, turning to look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, that probably looked weird, I sent him on a.. Mission,” he said softly, giving a little smile, and continuing to walk forward. Connor gave a little nod, walking forward with Kaoru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what might that mission be?” He mused, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Kaoru glanced over at him, then shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m hungry, I needed him to go to the vending machines,” he said simply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, you mean the ones we just passed by a few minutes ago?” Connor chuckled. “It’s fine, you don’t have to tell me. I’m just being nosey.” Kaoru looked down at the ground as they walked, letting out a little breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hikaru and I just don’t get out very often alone. Never, actually. We’re always together,” he admitted. Connor gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you needed a breather?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not at all,” Kaoru quickly defended. Connor glanced back in the direction that Hikaru and Haruhi had just run off in, then as it clicked, he nodded a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he doesn’t get out with girls very often is what you mean?” He asked, and Kaoru sheepishly nodded. “I get it, you’re playing wingman for him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sort of. He’s not really aware of the fact that I’m doing it, so I don’t know if it counts,” Kaoru recounted, looking into a tank as they strolled by. “I don’t think he really knows how much he needs to do things on his own sometimes. Being always together doesn’t get you a girlfriend - it doesn’t let you act on your feelings, I mean.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And are you doing this so you can get a girlfriend, too, without the jealousy?” Connor teased, and Kaoru shrugged a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not right now, but at some point, I will want to be with someone. I’d like to get this stage out of the way now so it won’t be worse in the future. Besides, I think Hikaru really likes Haruhi, and the longer he takes to handle that is the more time someone else has to jump in. I don’t know if he could really deal with that, to be honest,” Kaoru sighed, then turned to Connor. “Just don’t mention this to Reina. I don’t need any help, and I don’t want anyone else to know. I’m really the only one that can do this. If she mentions it to Tamaki, then it’s all over for this plan.” Connor nodded, zipping his lips and flicking his fingers, as if to toss the key. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not a word,” he said, then let out a short little laugh. “So you’re having a very busy day then. Playing wingman for two different people,” he mused. Kaoru stiffened, blinking a few times. “I’m not stupid, you know. I doubt any of you wanted to hear anything about my job, though I did find quite a bit of amusement in boring you extra by talking about fonts,” he laughed a bit. “As soon as you three led me away from the main entrance, I knew what was happening.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’re okay with that?” Kaoru asked, furrowing his eyebrows a little. “I mean, I just thought with Reina being your daughter and all, you wouldn’t want us to be pushing her together with another guy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who do you think sent them into the building instead of waiting for you all to get out of the car?” Connor reminded Kaoru, who simply blinked in response. “I guess I was playing some form of ‘wingman’ myself, but that feels kind of gross when I say it out loud. Reina has a hard time connecting with people, so when I noticed that her and that Tamaki guy seemed to be close, I knew I didn’t want to interrupt that with any overprotective dad shit, as much as I sort of want to. I trust her, and he seems like a good kid.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you would be okay with her dating him?” Kaoru mused, and Connor let out another little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s bound to happen at some point, right? Her dating? I’ve gotten pretty lucky with her so far just not having an interest in guys - well, people, I guess. But I still don’t know if you all will see it go that far, honestly,” Connor admitted, frowning a little bit. “She has such a temporary mindset.” Kaoru tilted his head, so Connor continued. “Her constant moving, uprooting, she tends to think of everything so temporarily. I remember last year, she told me that she and a friend of hers got in a fight near the middle of the year, and when I asked what ended up happening with that, Reina told me she just let it go since she only had a few more months anyway. I started to notice the problem around her second year in France, after she realized she would have to leave everything behind again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re saying that she intentionally doesn’t get attached, because she knows it’ll end?” Kaoru asked, and Connor simply nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems a little different this time around, though. I don’t think she’s ever even told any of her friends her birthday, much less introduced them to me. I should have known when I heard her answer his phone call in the car that something was off, that in and of itself was unusual for her,” he chuckled a bit. “I’ve been trying to remind her periodically that as she gets older, she gets to choose where she’ll end up. She’ll get to pick her college, or she’ll get to pick where she goes to go live after high school, and that she doesn’t need to leave everything behind because she’ll get to make her decision soon enough. I’m hoping that’s getting through to her, but I have my doubts.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Couldn’t she just ask to stay in Japan another year? Or, couldn’t she have just asked to stay in her old homes? It doesn’t make sense to me, she didn’t have to leave,” Kaoru pointed out, and Connor shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe one day she’ll talk about her mom and stepdad to you guys. But whatever they say tends to go. I think she’s learned not to question them. I wish I could help her, but I have no authority over any of that, unfortunately,” Connor explained, shaking his head a little as he looked down at the ground. Kaoru didn’t talk for a few seconds, just nodding, processing a little bit. “I was actually elated when I found out that some friends came to surprise her. Nobody’s ever done anything like that, but mostly because she’s never given anyone the availability to do so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki really wanted to make it her best birthday. He was really adamant about it. Even when the rest of us weren’t sure about intruding, he said he would come whether or not we wanted to join,” Kaoru clued him in, and Connor gave a little smile at the thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me, you’re his friend. Would you trust your daughter with the kid?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s an idiot,” Kaoru said almost instantaneously, getting a little laugh out of Connor. “But he really does mean well, most of the time. You could do way worse.” Connor nodded a little bit, relaxing his shoulders. “He does seem to like her, we’ve never seen anything like this out of him for anyone. I’m not too sure if he truly knows that he really likes her, though, not as much as it seems like he does. Something about my friend group, I guess,” he laughed a bit. “They’re all a bit oblivious.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ll figure it out,” Connor concluded. “One way or another. I’m just hoping that this plan doesn’t ruin her further.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m hoping she doesn’t put her trust in something that might prematurely end, putting her walls up further. Or, if they do somehow fall in love, I would hate to see how she reacts if she gets moved again next year,” Connor said softly, thinking about it again for another moment, before sighing. “But like I said, they’ll figure it out, one way or another. She’ll figure it out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina and Tamaki had left the illuminated room not long after entering. The cold had finally begun to get to them, so they reappeared out of the doors and had continued on throughout the exhibits. Tamaki had tried calling a few of the host club members as they walked around, both enjoying the views while simultaneously searching for their friends, but the calls either weren’t answered or never went through due to the spotty reception in the building. Finally, after what felt like much longer than it actually was, they bumped into Hikaru and Haruhi, though Reina had noticed that it almost looked like they had been hiding from the couple when Tamaki spotted them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Where is everyone?” Tamaki cocked an eyebrow, looking between the pair, before Hikaru finally shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, having fun somewhere, I guess,” he said, taking a little look around. “We all split off when we got in.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’d Connor split off with, then?” Reina asked, furrowing her eyebrows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I had hoped that he wouldn’t be bored walking around here alone. Maybe I should have just waited outside for him with Tamaki, instead of going inside</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she frowned a bit, worried that she might have ruined Connor’s vacation. Haruhi gave her a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were with him for a while, we split off from him maybe twenty minutes ago. He’s with Kaoru now,” she assured, and Reina gave a quick nod. Tamaki’s eyes widened a little, just noticing that the twins were apart from one another, but didn’t mention it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m gonna go find them,” Reina concluded, giving a quick smile to the group, letting go of Tamaki’s hand. He seemed hesitant to let go on his end. “I stole enough of your time, you can stay with them, Tamaki. Maybe you guys can locate the rest of the group so we can all hang out together again?” She suggested. He gave a soft little nod, finally letting go, and gave a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last we saw them, they had gone through that room,” Hikaru nodded in the direction, to which Reina nodded a bit and headed off in the direction she was pointed to. Hikaru quickly snapped his head to Tamaki. “How’d it go?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean how’d it go?” He asked, glancing between the pair. “We were having a really fun time searching for everyone, if that’s what you mean.” Hikaru let out a groan, throwing his head back in defeat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were staying away from you on purpose, so you two could have alone time!” He cried out, frustrated that he had to explain it to the dumbstruck blonde now standing in front of him. “You mean to tell me that you spent almost an hour looking for all of us?” Tamaki blinked, then looked down at his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, not the whole hour,” he admitted, before quickly coming back to grips at Hikaru’s words and looking back up at him. “What do you mean on purpose? Why wouldn’t you have told me that?! I don’t need anyone’s help,” he rapidly defended, only getting two eyerolls back his way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When would we have been able to tell you, senpai? You rushed away from us to get to her when we were making the plan,” Haruhi shot back, and Tamaki went pale. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well besides all that, why did you guys all split up? I don’t think I can think of a single time that the twins were away from one another,” Tamaki thought, immediately pushing the conversation in a different direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re trying to keep you and Connor away from each other. It’s hard to make a move in front of a girl’s dad,” Hikaru noted, Tamaki already turning red, but he pressed on. “Kaoru said he thought he heard you when we were in that room, so he sent me and Haruhi to keep watch behind them to make sure that you four didn’t run into each other.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well the jokes on you!” Tamaki quickly pointed out. “Reina and I hadn’t even been on this side yet!” Hikaru blinked a few times, then crossed his arms and shrugged. “And didn’t you just fail your mission, anyway? You two just let Reina leave to go find Connor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s harder to say no to her than it would have been if you had been the one to suggest it,” Hikaru said slowly, now looking away as he realized what he had done. “How am I supposed to come up with a lie to tell her not to go find her dad?” Tamaki shook his head a bit, mirroring Hikaru and also crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re an idiot,” He said simply, looking around once more. “And you two have no clue where the other three are?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, if I know them well enough, I would say that Honey got hungry after a while, and the other two were probably never too interested in the first place. If there’s a cafeteria, I’m sure we’ll find them there,” Haruhi mentioned, receiving a nod from each of the huffy boys, and they started in search. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Only after a quick few minutes after leaving Hikaru, Haruhi, and Tamaki, Reina easily found Connor and Kaoru. They were walking along, having light conversation. She walked up behind the pair and tapped the elder redhead. Connor whipped around, a little startled, which made Reina crack up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hah, you got scared,” she mused, turning to the confused Kaoru, giving him a little smile. “We’ve been looking for you guys.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Tamaki?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s with Hikaru and Haruhi, we just found them, so I figured I would come see what you two were up to. I think they’re trying to find the last three,” she explained, giving them each a smile, but Kaoru was trying not to grimace in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Those idiots.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Connor gave the short girl a little nod and held his arm out for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve just been looking around, but we can all go to try and find them all,” Connor suggested, casting a glance back at Kaoru who seemed to relax a bit. “I’m sure everyone has already seen the majority of the place here, so we can all figure out if there’s any other areas we want to check out before we leave.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki and I found this really cool room,” Reina grinned as they began to walk. “It was kinda near the front, but we almost didn’t notice it so I’m sure everyone else missed it, especially since nobody else was in there when we were. It was like a light show that replicated the northern lights, it was super cool. Though, it was also super cold in there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounds like you’ve been having fun,” Connor smiled, peeking around every once in a while to see if he could see any of the others. Reina continued to walk, glancing over at Kaoru every often, before finally deciding to ask. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you guys been avoiding us?” She questioned, and Kaoru nearly jumped out of his skin, eyelids fluttering a bit. “When we found Hikaru and Haruhi, it kinda looked like they were hiding from us. Tamaki didn’t seem to notice, though, so it might just be some inside joke I don’t quite get.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Must be an inside joke,” Kaoru laughed nervously, suddenly interested in the fishes swimming alongside them as they walked. “Maybe a joke between Haruhi and Tamaki, I’m not sure,” he quickly added, figuring she would question an inside joke between Hikaru and Tamaki that Kaoru wasn’t aware of. Reina watched him for a few seconds before facing her attention back forward and giving a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just curious,” she noted, sending him a little smile swiftly before looking forward again. Shortly after, Reina’s phone began to buzz, so she pulled it out and answered the call from Tamaki. “You guys find them yet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they were in the cafeteria,” Tamaki huffed. He had just been filled in on the fact that he and Reina had been spied on during part of their alone time, and needed to take a step away from the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay! We’ll head there now,” Reina smiled. “See you in a minute,” she said before hanging up the phone. Tamaki sighed and turned back to his friend group, still frustrated with them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, isn’t it a little hypocritical to be mad about snooping when we just listened in on an entire lunch conversation, just today?” Kyoya reminded, to which Tamaki simply turned away and crossed his arms, refusing to answer. Hikaru scoffed a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you hypocrite, get over yourself. We’re just trying to help out,” he said, looking over at Tamaki. “And it sounds like it worked, from what Honey said.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two looked so cute, we should have taken a picture!” Honey complimented. Tamaki was still standing with his arms crossed, facing away from the group, but his nose scrunched up as his cheeks flamed up. “Were you having fun, Tama-Chan?” Tamaki stayed silent for another few seconds, before he began to think back, his stance relaxing in his memories. He finally gave a little nod. “See, it worked!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re welcome,” Hikaru snapped, sitting back in the chair that he had claimed at the table with the other members. “You can’t be mad at us for trying to help you out.” Just as Hikaru finished his sentence, the final three members of the group walked through the cafeteria doors, all of them giving little smiles to the tense group at the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you guys been here too long?” Reina asked, turning to the original three. Kyoya had brought his laptop with him when they came and had it sitting in front of him, but he closed it as they approached the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only about thirty minutes,” he shrugged, retrieving his laptop from the surface and tucking it back into his side bag, standing up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that means we’re about wrapped up here, then, right?” Connor asked, glancing around at the crowd, who collectively gave little nods, though most of them hadn’t actually seen much of the exhibits. “That works out fine, I still need to take Reina shopping for her birthday, and would like to do that before dinner. I don’t expect you guys to want to join in on that, so we all can meet up once it’s time for dinner and we can pick a place?” Connor suggested, once again getting collective nods from the group of teenagers in front of him. “Perfect, game plan set. Let’s head out,” he grinned, taking the first initiative by turning around and beginning the venture back to the entrance. Tamaki, who was now over his anger, made his way back over to Reina, holding his hand out to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think you guys are gonna be able to find something fun to do while we’re out?” Reina asked, and Tamaki huffed a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll probably just go back to my room,” he mumbled, and she peered up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you tired?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, so just crabby?” She suggested, and he gave a little scoff that she then laughed at. “I mean, technically, if you’re not going to go have any fun otherwise, you could come with Connor and I. I had told him that a good gift would be room decor, but I really haven’t decorated a room of mine in years, not really anyway. I would have no idea where to even start.” Tamaki immediately perked up, looking down at her with a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to join you, my princess. As long as that’s okay with your dad,” he added quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine by me,” Connor called from in front of them, causing Tamaki to stiffen a bit. When they all reached the cars, Tamaki turned to the crowd of hosts behind them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go with them,” he said softly, trying to ignore the little smirks being sent his way. “We’ll let you know when we’re headed back to the hotel, take the car wherever you guys want. Kyoya, will you search up suitable restaurants for tonight?” Kyoya gave a little nod, turning to get into their car. Reina had also let go of Tamaki’s hand, making her way into the backseat of Connor’s rental car. Once Connor had climbed in, the twins each gave an extra devious grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be careful,” Hikaru warned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t want her dad hating you, and all of our hard work going down the gutter,” Kaoru chuckled, though after the conversation he had just had with Connor, he knew Tamaki would be fine. Still, the blonde sent them each daggers with his eyes before turning towards the car. His stomach dropped a little as he noticed Reina sitting in the backseat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Especially since you’ll be seated right next to him,” Hikaru cackled, before quickly jumping through the limo door to avoid any other looks from Tamaki. He took a deep breath before walking to the passenger door and slipping in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just telling Reina that we can go to a department store that I know that we had passed on the way here. I’m not sure if it’ll have both clothes and room stuff, but we can always run to another,” Connor explained, as he was setting up the radio back to the popular Japanese stations, as per Reina’s request. Tamaki glanced between the two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to put on different music on my account. Really, you can listen to your CD. Reina mentioned to me how much she enjoyed it,” Tamaki shared. Connor sent a little grin back at Reina, before doing as Tamaki had suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew you liked my music taste,” he gloated, but still turned the volume down, anticipating some sort of conversation. He, of course, was correct. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s old music for an old man - but it’s cool old music, I’ll give you that,” Reina taunted, only getting an eye roll in return as Connor began to drive. “Hey, I never gave you Tamaki’s last name. Did you notice that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing so I couldn’t look him up or something?” Connor tried, then shook his head a little. “I didn’t notice. I was trying to remember everyone’s first names, I wasn’t worried about the last ones. Was I right? Did you withhold it because you were scared I was gonna go searching around?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, something much cooler than that,” Reina said, swiftly moving to the middle seat and sitting on the edge of it - unbuckled, of course - to rest her head against the side of Tamaki’s seat, looking over at Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can tell me all about it once you sit correctly,” Connor warned, but to no avail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Suoh,” she grinned, looking up at Tamaki, who was just smiling a little uncomfortable. Connor listened to the word and furrowed his eyebrows, before it finally hit him, and a big grin spread across his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you Yuzuru’s son?” He asked, to which Tamaki nodded lightly. “No way! I really liked him. Such a nice kid. How’s he doing? Did he end up taking over as CEO?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s doing good, and he did take over, though alongside my grandmother,” Tamaki nodded, and Connor scowled at the mention of Shizue. Tamaki missed the look as he had just noticed Reina by his side, and he reached back behind him to lightly lead Reina back into the seat, shooting her a look that made her roll her eyes but ultimately buckle up. “He’s also the chairman of Ouran Academy. We had Reina over for dinner about a week ago and he had mentioned that he knew Kimi, but didn’t mention you until I left the room. How did you two meet?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kimi’s parents and your grandparents were acquaintances to some extent, so I met them around the same time. He and I kept in contact for a while, even after Kimi and I moved to America, but life happened. I think we had a little email thread about ten or so years ago, but not much in between,” Connor explained, still smiling a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me that mom went to Ouran?” Reina asked from the back, raising her voice dramatically with the new distance created between them. Connor shrugged a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I assumed you knew. I know, how stupid of me,” he laughed. “I was curious to see if you were going to meet anyone that I had known, or kids of anyone that I had met, but I didn’t want to send you on some hunt to find any last names that I might recognize. Plus, you’re pretty secretive over email, and I hadn’t thought about it at all over the weekend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not secretive over email,” she softly mumbled, but shook her head a bit. “So you met Yuzuru and mom around the same time? How?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Work, mostly. Your mom’s parents had been investing in my business, they started once I opened a branch in Japan. I would have dinners with them occasionally, and your mom was there. One time I hosted an event for my investors or potential investors, and through word of mouth I guess, Tamaki’s grandparents came and brought Yuzuru. Him and Kimi were only a few years younger than I was, so although I was meeting their parents, I tended to get along with them more,” Connor explained briefly, turning back to Tamaki once at a stoplight. “So you had Reina over for dinner, then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir,” Tamaki grinned, giving a nod. “We had a school project to work on, so she stayed afterwards as well.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m glad that she got to meet Yuzuru then! We had discussed at one point meeting up, with you two, but like I said, life happens,” he concluded, a sad smile on his face. “We’ll have to plan another time, then. Even if it is ten years later, and even if you two met before we could do the introductions.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When do you leave back to America? I’m sure that he would love to see you before you went out,” Tamaki suggested, peeking back at Reina, who had an excited little smile on her face. Connor made a little ‘hm’ sound as he thought, then another little smile made its way to his face as he pulled into a parking spot at the destination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think, so long as your dad is available tomorrow night, we can squeeze it in then. I technically don’t leave until the middle of the night, and we have to leave the hotel here by at least two tomorrow. Check with him and we’ll see what will happen,” Connor responded with a little nod. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Interrogating Connor (25)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: This is just a little tidbit of info for anyone interested, but to help create Reina’s character, I picked a birthdate/time and have been loosely using her chart to help me with some of her characteristics. If anyone is interested in taking a peek at her chart for fun, her birthday is May 17th, born at 7:35 am and was born in Los Angeles :) Taurus/Cancer/Gemini are her big three, and when I read through her report, that was already kind of the character I had in mind for her! Just thought I would put it out there. It’s not perfect but it’s been fun to have a bit of guidance :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Five</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The group of three had found quite a few good items in the store. Tamaki had practically taken over the room decor, promising Reina he would pick out great stuff. Meanwhile Reina picked out a few clothing items that Connor tried to shut down. They had made a compromise, Reina only picking out a few things that were a little too revealing, like a tube top and a pair of shorts, so long as she promised to never wear them together. Connor had also piled on a few essential items he felt she might need, such as some leggings and dresses she had mentioned earlier, as well as some regular tee shirts, two jackets, and some new jeans and shoes. At checkout, Tamaki had paid for the room items as his gift to her, despite her arguing, and Connor picked up the rest. Once getting back to the hotel and deciding that it wasn’t quite late enough for dinner, the three headed back to Reina’s room to have a further discussion. The three had decided, upon Tamaki’s idea, not to tell Yuzuru who else would be accompanying Reina in the family dinner the following evening. Tamaki had already reached out to Yuzuru to ask if she could come over, and he immediately agreed, so they all figured it would be a nice surprise for him. They partook in a lot of small talk, such as how Reina and Tamaki had met. The conversation had allowed Reina to recount the teasing she had given Tamaki on her first encounter with him, much to Connor’s amusement and Tamaki’s embarrassment. Tamaki quickly combated back with the whole host club meaning mix up, which amused Connor even further. He watched their playful banter with a soft, almost nostalgic smile. Their conversation was cut off by the sound of Connor’s phone going off. He answered quickly, then after a brief silence, he smiled and handed the phone off to Reina. She took a moment to process what it might be, before realizing, and held the phone to her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A little voice screamed in English, all three members of the table hearing it clearly, and Reina held the phone away from her ear for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut as her ear ached in temporary pain, before she laughed a little, putting it back in on its original spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina responded back in English, smiling a little, and quickly dove into a full conversation with the little girl on the other end. April asked her all kinds of things, like how old she was now, what she was doing today, what she was doing at the exact moment, who her friend was that was sitting beside her, if Tamaki was a boy or a girl, if Tamaki was in love with her, if he was nice, if Reina would say hi to Connor for her. As the two girls spoke over the phone, Tamaki turned to Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that her sister?” He asked quietly, and Connor gave a nod, a content smile resting on his lips. “I’m sure she would love to meet her,” he said, referring to Reina wanting to meet April. Connor looked down at the table, his smile turning a little sad. He glanced over at Reina, who seemed engrossed in the conversation, so felt it safe to discuss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“April wants nothing more than to meet Reina. I’m hoping one day Reina will be up for it, but I don’t want to push her into anything uncomfortable for her,” he said quietly, giving Tamaki a little nod. Tamaki, however, furrowed his eyebrows together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said the same thing, but opposite,” he responded, and Connor cocked an eyebrow. “She said that she would love to meet her, but you had never mentioned it, and didn’t want to make anything uncomfortable by bringing it up.” Connor glanced over at his eldest daughter, stuck in thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kimi, she -” he started to say, moreso to himself, but stopped in his tracks as he heard the next conversation begin, quickly grimacing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’d love to talk to your mommy. Okay April, thank you again for singing to me. I’ll talk to you again soon, okay?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>There was a little pause as the phone shifted from one person to another. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Hello? Hey, thank you again… Yes, again? Connor told me.. Actually, nevermind. But thank you, I appreciate it… Oh, yeah, I definitely appreciate that. I’ll be sure to remind him, for sure. Okay, talk to you soon, bye.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina concluded quickly, ending the call and turning to Connor, who was faking interest in the corner of the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did call mom, didn’t you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Connor asked, glancing at her for a second before turning back to the corner of the table. “Whoever made this table sucks at woodworking, none of this is symmetrical.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Carrie said she hadn’t wished me a happy birthday yet when I said again, but you said she did when we were at the restaurant. You called mom, didn’t you?” She repeated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh, now that I think about it, it may have actually been Kimi. I think my finger slipped when I was trying to call Carrie, that’s so strange. Sorry about that, sweet girl,” he joked softly, looking back up to meet his daughter’s sad eyes, and she slid his phone back over to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do that anymore,” she said sternly, rolling her eyes. “I don’t need mom to call me on your command, April gave me the best birthday serenading that I could ask for,” she teased, finally cracking a little smile. Connor took his phone in his hand and peeked over at Tamaki, who was just watching the encounter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“April’s quite the vocalist around the house. If I could remove one thing from the world, it would be the toy microphone we got her for Christmas last year,” he started, making Reina smile a little more. “I’m sure she would love to show off all her toys to you one day, if you ever wanted to come visit. Would you ever want to?” Reina blinked, taken aback, but then gave him a big smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to,” she said softly, nodding. She glanced over to Tamaki, who was also wearing a big smile. Connor looked down at his phone, still obviously thinking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you always want to? Meet her, I mean,” he asked, looking back at Reina. She gave a little nod, glancing up at the ceiling to avoid the uncomfortable eye contact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, yeah. But it never seemed to be in the cards, so I’m not mad about it or anything. I’m just glad that it’s an option, like that I’m not blacklisted from your house or anything,” she laughed, then perked up. “Oh! Carrie told me that you told her about our conversation about the alcohol - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep, I texted her to tell her how I was definitely not getting that for you,” he swiftly interrupted, fairly sure where the conversation was going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” she mimicked, “but she just told me that her gift to me is that she’s making you get me a few bottles of my favorite. You can double check with her, but I don’t lie.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will absolutely be double checking, but also informing her that it won’t be happening,” Connor said, picking his phone up as he stood. “Not a chance.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll only be hurting both of our feelings, then,” Reina pouted. Connor shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the perks of being the young stepparent. They try to be the cool one, when I have to be the one to say no,” Connor thought out loud with a little groan, then turned to Tamaki. “Will you text your friends and ask if they came up with a place to eat, and if they’re getting hungry at all? Once I’m finished with this lovely phone call, I’ll come back, so if they’re getting hungry you can just tell them to meet us here or down by the cars. Either way,” Connor said, moving from his chair to step out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll text them now,” Tamaki nodded. Connor gave him a little smile before slipping through the door. He immediately turned to Reina, who peered back over at him with a smile. He pulled out his phone and began to make the texts that he needed to, but not before scooting his chair closer to Reina, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for coming with us today,” she said softly, a little yawn escaping. “It’s been a long day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounds like only one more event for the night, and then you’re free to sleep,” he whispered to her, softly pressing his lips against her forehead, setting his phone on the table in front of them after sending the last text out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got your own room?” She asked, and he gave a little nod, head resting on top of hers. “You didn’t have to. You know I would have let you stay here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t sure about that at all,” he retorted, his face scrunching into a little sullen expression. “I have to admit something. Some of Haruhi’s guests saw Connor pick you up from the school, and expressed to me their concern over an older man picking you up. I was a little worried,” he glanced down at her. “Well, a little bit more than just a little. I’m glad you answered my call on Friday, it calmed my nerves. But I still wasn’t sure what you were doing here with an older guy.” Reina frowned, reaching out and clasping her hand over his much larger one, giving it a little squeeze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she mumbled apologetically and he flipped his hand around, holding onto hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize, you did nothing wrong,” he reassured. “I still don’t think I’d be able to stay here. Now knowing who it was that picked you up, I’m sure your dad wouldn’t appreciate me sleeping in the same bed as you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never planned on telling on myself,” she laughed, peeking up at him. “But that’s fair. If you’re not too tired, I’m still open to hosting you in here for a movie. Or two.” He let out a little laugh, but their conversation got interrupted by his phone vibrating with a text. He looked through it, seeing that Kyoya found a good option in the area, and he got an estimation of about ten minutes before everyone else would meet them down in the parking lot, ruining the peace in Tamaki’s current position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So spill,” Hikaru said the moment Tamaki shut the limousine car. Once again, Connor insisted on driving his own vehicle, and Reina joined him. Tamaki had decided to join his friends once more, knowing that they would have their questions. Though, he had expected to progress into them, and he let out a little huff at Hikaru’s brash approach. Haruhi took notice and immediately stepped in to rephrase. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How was the drive, senpai? Did her dad seem to like you more one on one?” She asked, and Tamaki relaxed into the seat a little more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He did!” He said, beaming for a moment, before quickly recounting the conversation and pressing forward. “You guys are never going to believe it, but my dad actually knew both of her parents, so he’s coming over for dinner tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would make sense I suppose, considering Kimi attended Ouran the same years that Yuzuru did,” Kyoya voiced, remembering that he had seen that in some of his research, though he had never mentioned it seeing it as unnecessary information. Despite Kyoya’s calmness in the matter, the rest of the club sat with wide eyes, some jaws gaping a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just found that out?” Kaoru asked, and Tamaki shook his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I found out that dad knew Kimi a week or so ago when I had Reina over for dinner and he mentioned it. Reina was just as surprised as I was, she hadn’t known that her mom went to Ouran,” he told them, casting a glance to Kyoya who simply pushed his glasses up. “Dad kept sending me out of the room to take on a few tasks after the meal, and during the time I was gone, he had mentioned to her that he knew Connor was her dad and that he knew him as well. Reina told me that today before the aquarium, but she only just told him when the three of us were driving together.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tama-Chan, I’m surprised you could keep a secret from us,” Honey laughed, but held no ill will in his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s definitely unusual that he was able to hold that back,” Kaoru pointed out, which made Tamaki turn a few shades pinker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can hold a secret!” He shrieked, crossing his arms in the seat, but a few amused chuckles and smiles were entering the car at his words. “Really, I can! What makes you guys think I can’t?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not holding a secret that we find strange, it’s holding a secret from us specifically,” Kyoya explained, and Tamaki shook his head a little in disbelief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t tell you guys everything, you know,” he retorted, looking amongst everyone. The twins, seizing their opportunity, leaned forward to look at the frustrated French man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Prove it then,” they said together, and Tamaki simply blinked. “Tell us something we don’t know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s easy! The night of the dance, I stayed over at Reina’s. I knew you would all make a big deal about it, so I didn’t even mention it once!” Tamaki grinned, proud of himself that he had come up with something so easily, but quickly dropped his smile at the expression of his friends. Even Kyoya had looked up from his phone in surprise. The twins glanced at each other, jaws dropped. They had expected to hear about something more embarrassing, maybe that the host king needed a nightlight to sleep, or something along those lines that they could hold over him. Nobody expected that confession. “Nothing happened,” he quickly added, his face slowly turning more and more pale. “I brought some coffee, we watched a movie and accidentally fell asleep,” he continued, but no words came out of anyone else’s mouths. The car stopped as it pulled up to the front of the restaurant, but everyone sat still in their seats. Finally, to get out of the awkward environment he had created, Tamaki quickly pushed the door open and slipped out without another word, not even glancing back at the club as he searched for the familiar rental car, which had just been pulling in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the secret we thought we’d be getting,” the twins said together, looking at everyone else. Kyoya, after finally coming down from his initial shock, pushed up his glasses once more and moved to get out of the car as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure. But I think that was probably one of the more interesting of the few that we aren’t yet aware of,” he responded, getting a little nod of agreement from each member. Once the club met up with the father and daughter duo, they all headed off inside. Kyoya had already set up a reservation under their name, so the nine people were hastily escorted off to a table. At each head of the table, Connor and Kyoya sat. Tamaki and Reina sat across from each other, each on one side of Connor. Next to Reina was Mori, and across from Mori was Honey. Next in line were Hikaru and Kaoru across from each other, and Haruhi took the extra seat that was next to Hikaru and Kyoya - which, Kaoru had made quite sure to not take, instead opting to sit across from his brother this time. Hikaru hadn’t seemed to notice that his brother hadn’t taken the seat directly next to him, as he hungrily began to look over the menu. Everyone else followed Hikaru’s movements, beginning to flip through the pages. It only took about five minutes for everyone to decide what they were getting, and once the waiter came back the group went one by one to give him their orders. Kyoya ordered last, handing his menu off to the waiter, then faced forward to the head of the table, giving Connor a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So Connor, we’d love to hear more about you,” Kyoya spoke for everyone, the rest of the host club turning to look at the elder of the table. He briskly set his water glass back down, just as a little glass of sake got delivered in front of him. He gave a quick nod to the waiter in thanks, then turned back to Kyoya, taking the small glass in his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he said, taking a little sip. “What would you like to know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well we’re aware of the fact that you own a magazine, but we’d love to hear about any other business ventures you might be taking on,” Kyoya coolly responded, trying to ease into the conversation that they all had talked about earlier in the afternoon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have any other current ventures,” he laughed a bit. “Between home life and the magazine, it’s hard enough to catch a break. We’re comfortable with what we have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you always been working on the magazine?” Honey asked, and Connor softly shook his head, casting a little glance to Reina who was fixated on her water glass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I used to own the Lux Travel Agency,” he sadly smiled. “Though, I think they’re now just going by the umbrella name Lux.” Reina gave a little nod of confirmation. “But I moved past that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems fairly successful, why did you move on from it?” Kyoya asked. Connor gave a little chuckle, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wouldn’t have been as happy about Reina having friends if I had known that this would be an interrogation</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was more of a forceful situation. If I have any big piece of advice for you kids, it’s to splurge on the best lawyer your account can afford,” he said, trying to end the conversation, but all eyes remained on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He got arrested, and had to hand the company over,” Reina finally spoke up, glancing around at the room. “When he was released, he owned no rights to Lux because he had handed it over with no stipulations.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you do that, though?” Kaoru looked over, feeling more comfortable with Connor after their time spent together. Connor continued to sip his sake, feeling like he was going to need more of it very soon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Another piece of advice is not to trust everyone, at least not completely,” he said softly, then gave a little shrug. “Young and naive. I can’t blame anyone but myself. It’s not a big deal, I got to put that experience under my belt and move onto the next business. I lost more than the company, that was the least of my concerns.” Tamaki finally braved himself enough to look over at Connor, sitting up straight in his chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why were you arrested?” The blonde asked. The two men made eye contact, holding it briefly, but Connor was the first to break it, taking yet another sip of the sake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got in a car accident a few months before we found out Kimi was pregnant with Reina. It wasn’t awful, just some aches and pains from it, I got lucky. I got prescribed pain medication, but when the supply ran out, I didn’t really feel like I was ready to get off of them. Kimi and I had a conversation about it, and as opposed to trying to get ahold of more pills in fear of an addiction, we decided it would be best if I tried to smoke marijuana to relieve some of the pain,” he admitted, finally finishing off the cup in front of him and setting it near the side of the table, a signal for a refill. “Similar to here in Japan, drug laws cracked down in the 90’s. We weren’t too concerned about the legal aspect, we were more worried about whether or not I would have an addiction. That was naive thinking. Someone put in an anonymous tip, our house was raided, and I was arrested. Kimi was already pregnant at the time, and since she was my wife and her parents were one of my biggest investors, I handed the company over to them. Her parents took over, promoting the new CEO, and then within a month, Kimi married him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so is that how Reina’s mom met her stepdad?” Haruhi asked to clarify. Connor nodded a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something like that. I was definitely not the first choice for Kimi’s grandparents in terms of son-in-laws. After my arrest, they seized the opportunity, and scouted out someone who could double as both the new CEO of the company, and as Kimi’s husband,” Connor softly said, glancing over at Reina, who was sitting back in her seat and looking at the table, not really paying much attention to the story she already knew. “I can’t blame Kimi. She was pregnant, and I’m sure never dreamed of being a single mother. Her parents were funnelling a lot of money into the company, and she was relying on Lux to stay afloat, so I can’t say I’m confused as to why she signed the divorce papers and remarried as quickly as she did. Especially as she was going to start showing soon, and that nobody had wanted anyone to know that I was the father. They didn’t want to dishonor the Yoshida family.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Yoshida’s still live in the Tokyo area, correct?” Kyoya asked, just as the waiter came by to drop off another sake for Connor. He gave a little shrug, picking up the second glass and taking a little more than just a sip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would assume so. I know they travel to New York frequently, to check in on the kids and business,” he said, looking over at Reina again, who had gotten even more uncomfortable. “But I guess they probably would still live here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you seen them since being here, Rei-Chan?” Honey asked, snapping Reina out of her thoughts, and she shook her head a little, but gave a little smile to try and push off the subject, but it didn’t work. “Why not?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m definitely not the favorite grandchild by any means,” she laughed a little. Eyes remained on her, so she continued. “I’m Connor’s kid. So I’m the bastard. Conversations are a little tense and weird, so at some point in my life, we just stopped communication. They just visit anytime other than the week that I spend at home each year.” Every male at the table glanced over at Tamaki, immediately noticing the correlation between the pair, leaving Reina and Haruhi out of the loop on that one for now. “But I don’t mind. I don’t even know how much I would realistically go see them, even on good terms, so I don’t feel as though I’m missing out on much. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if they had no idea I was even in Japan this year, I don’t think they discuss me very often.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just a little surprised that you got five years for weed,” Hikaru thought out loud, turning back to Connor, who was already almost finished with his second cup of sake. “I guess I always assumed that laws like that were a little more lenient on, you know, us,” he finished, referring to the rich. Connor gave a little shrug, keeping the cup near his face as he began to speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Had nobody sent in a tip, I’m sure I would have been fine. But to my luck, someone did,” he explained coolly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming it had to have been someone high class, maybe even more so than you were,” Kyoya said. Connor finished off his second glass, then gave a little nod, but didn’t elaborate. “Did they tell you a name? I’ll admit, I’m not too familiar with the way things work in America legally.” Reina glanced up at Kyoya and bit the inside of her cheek, taking a swig of water to prevent from saying anything. Connor shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They don’t tell you. At least, they didn’t tell me. Anonymity for the rich,” he chuckled, setting his glass to the side for yet another refill. He noticed Tamaki’s glances at the empty cup and he gave a little smile. “It’s because I’m Irish. A lot of liquor to take me anywhere,” he said. Tamaki gave a little nod, but decided to keep watch on it, knowing he would be the one driving the girl in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before long, the food arrived, and they plunged into some lighter conversation. Tamaki and Kyoya had insisted they were going to pay for the meal - half of it with Tamaki’s money, and the other half with the club credit card, considering this was technically a club excursion. By the end of it, Connor had finished off six cups of sake in all. He was functioning well, just as he had told Tamaki, but he turned to Reina at the end of the meal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to call us a cab. I should be fine, but I won’t risk it with you in the car,” he said, and she simply nodded. Nobody had noticed that Mori had been watching closely on the number of drinks that Connor had and wasn’t going to allow them to get in the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll drive,” he finally spoke up from Reina’s side. She turned to him, giving him a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really don’t have to, it’s okay,” she said, but Mori simply reached across the table to grab the keys from Connor. He gave the third year a little smile as he reached into his pocket, grabbing the set of keys and handing them over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well thank you, Takashi,” he said, remembering his first name as opposed to the nickname most of the club members had referred to him by. Tamaki made a little scowl, damning himself for not yet being 18 and therefore not yet able to drive them himself. “That’ll make things easier in the morning, I appreciate it.” The bill was quickly paid, and after they cleaned up the table to be respectful, the nine departed. Everyone had decided that the day was over after the meal so that everyone could get some rest, so after everyone said their goodbyes and goodnights until morning, Mori walked with the two back to the rental car. Tamaki had debated which car he was going to get into, but after being tugged by the twins into the limo, his decision was clearly made for him. Since Connor wasn’t going to be driving, and looked like he was going to fall asleep in the car anyway, he let Reina take the front seat next to Mori. It didn’t take long after Mori even started the car for Connor’s head to begin to slouch against the window, more out of overall exhaustion than actual alcohol intake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, again,” Reina said softly, pulling her knees to her chest in the seat, leaning back in her seat. Mori simply nodded. The car remained pretty silent, while Reina thought about Emica back in Tokyo and about the conversation they had prior to the host club dance. “You have a guest named Emica, she’s a second year,” Reina said, and Mori once again nodded to answer her, despite Reina’s words being a statement rather than a question. “She’s a friend of mine. It’s none of my business, like at all, but I just figured I might let you know. I think she may have the wrong idea about your feelings for her. I won’t go into any specifics, as I don’t want to spread anything, but I just thought maybe it would be better for you to be somewhat aware. I think she expects more out of you than what I might assume you’re looking for out of her,” she said cautiously, turning to look at Mori. He was silent for a few moments, but when he got to a red light, he turned to Reina and gave her a small smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” was all he said, though he was thinking about a lot more. He had been expecting Reina to try and set him up with her, or something along those lines, but the warning she gave came across as a breath of fresh air compared to what he was used to. Typically, if a girl starts off a conversation by talking about one of their friends, he has to politely decline the roundabout date request, and those talks normally left a bitter taste in his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t mind me asking, does that happen often? Girls getting the wrong idea of their host’s feelings?” She asked, turning her body a little more towards him, her knees still hugged to her chest. Mori stayed silent, thinking about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes,” his low voice said, then after a little more deliberation, he continued. “Not as much with me, but yes.” Reina gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I’m assuming before you’re more quiet than the rest, right?” She asked, and he gave a single nod. “I get that. It probably makes it easier. I can’t imagine how many guests confess their love for the twins or Tamaki by the end of the year, with how touchy and flirty they are with the guests. Especially with the grand gestures,” she concluded, thinking about the trip that the whole club had taken just on account for her birthday. Mori glanced over at her quickly, a few moments of silence passing before he spoke again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki’s never done as grand of a gesture as this one,” he said softly, leaving it at that. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. If You'll Let Me (26)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Six</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mori had only been driving for a few months, so he had been cautious about getting to his destination, which meant they showed up much later than the host club did. Everyone aside from Tamaki had gotten out of the car and immediately went to the elevator to reside to their separate rooms, but Tamaki had stayed in the front of the parking lot to wait for the three remaining. After what felt like hours, the rental pulled into the lot, and Mori pulled the car into a parking spot. Connor immediately woke up from his half dazed state when the car turned off. After another thanks to Mori, Connor took back the keys and the three began the walk over to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you again, Mori,” Reina nodded to him, before turning to Tamaki. “I’m sure he’s fine, but I’m gonna make sure he makes it up to his room,” she said, motioning to Connor who was rubbing one of his eyes. “If you still want to come watch a movie, just come by once you've changed,” she smiled softly, before bounding off to Connor who had just begun walking towards the hotel, leaving Mori and Tamaki standing there. Slowly, they each began to walk together. They each pushed their hands into their pockets as they walked in silence. As they entered the hotel and saw the elevator doors long closed, Tamaki finally glanced over to Mori. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did it go okay?” He asked, and Mori gave a little nod as they made their way to the elevators. “I’m glad you offered to drive them. I didn’t want him to drive, and that was a better option than the cab,” he rambled, the elevator doors opening up and they each stepped in. He turned to Mori again after pressing the button for the floor that Mori shared with the majority of the club, then pressing the next floor up for his own room. “Did you guys talk about anything interesting?” Mori let out a little smile just as a ding rang through the little room, and the silver doors opened up to his floor. Mori turned down to Tamaki, taking half a step out so that the doors wouldn’t close before he left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like her,” he said, watching as Tamaki just blinked back at him. “I like her for you,” he finished, giving him a little nod before stepping out fully and turned out of sight towards his room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I still like to tease him, too,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mori almost chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the sight of Tamaki’s wide eyes. The doors once again closed, the silver reflecting back his image, and even through the discoloration he could make out some sort of blush across his whole face. Tamaki continued to stare at the silver doors until they reopened for his own floor, and he shuffled out quickly, in attempts to change as fast as he was able. It didn’t take him long once getting into his room. He looked around, noticing his bag sitting on the bed, still untouched. He hadn’t been in the room since dropping his stuff off. Rushing over to it, he began to search through it for some loungewear to change into, and once finding something suitable, he changed into it. Grabbing his wallet that held both his own room key alongside Reina’s and his phone, Tamaki turned back to his bag. In a last minute decision, he decided to grab her toothbrush, in case he were to accidentally fall asleep again. After quickly brushing his teeth in his own room, then tucking the toothbrush away to bring to Reina’s room, he left the room to head her way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina had made it back to her own room and had begun to get ready for bed as well. She had quickly thrown on a black tank top and a pair of blue pajama pants. After brushing her teeth and washing the makeup off her face, she grabbed a hair tie and threw most of her hair up in a ponytail, leaving only her bangs and a few strands in the front out. Not thinking she would need it, Reina had left her laptop at home, so she sat down at the end of the bed and began to flick through the movie options that the cable channels were providing. In her search, Tamaki had lightly knocked on the door before entering. Reina sent him a smile and waved him over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perfect timing, I have no idea what to put on. Will you come pick something?” She asked, and he nodded. Once stepping in, he set all of his belongings on the table, including his toothbrush. Reina smirked a little bit, eyes glancing between the brush and the blonde. “Did you change your mind about staying the night in here?” He blushed up, shaking his head as he walked over towards her, taking the remote from her hand and taking a seat next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just in case we accidentally fall asleep,” he defended, beginning to flip through the channels in search. He quickly found something on the guide that was about to start, so he decided that it would be fine enough for them to watch and put it on. “I think it should start in about five minutes or so,” he said, shortly after realizing that he didn’t particularly care about watching the movie. He stood from his position to move up towards the top of the bed, and once he had settled, motioned her over. She turned on the bed, and instead of taking a seat next to him, she crawled between his slightly parted legs, sitting forward and laying her back against the front of his body, her head resting against his collarbone. She pulled the blankets up to lay across their legs, though it stopped near the top of Tamaki’s thighs. He blinked, looking down at her, unsure of the new position. But slowly, his arms made his way across her body, resting softly on her abdomen, and he leaned down to press his face into her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand a lot of what you’re going through,” he finally said. She stiffened a little, but didn’t speak, allowing him to continue. “With your family, and your grandparents. I understand the stress of it all,” he said, face still in her hair. Reina waited for more, but when she didn’t receive it, she slowly sat back up and turned to face him. She moved to her knees, still in between his legs, relaxing in that position with her shins pressed against the bed. The two sat in eye contact, in such close proximity. “I’m illegitimate, as well,” he said softly, and her eyes grew sad. Reina reached down with one hand, pressing her palm against the top of his thigh, but keeping eye contact. “My father had an affair with his wife, he had been in an arranged marriage, and his mistress was my mother. She got pregnant with me, so I stayed in France with her until a few years ago. My dad visited us as often as he could, but it still wasn’t a lot, since I wasn’t allowed to come to Japan,” he continued, clasping his hand on top of hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you move out here?” She quietly asked, tightening her grip on his thigh slightly. He glanced down at their hands for a moment, a sad little smile on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom got sick in the last few years that I lived there. My grandmother came to terms with the fact that my father wasn’t going to have any other children and that I would be the only Suoh heir. She offered my mother and I a proposition, if I came here to Japan and cut ties with my mom, she would financially take care of her, medical bills and all,” Tamaki sadly explained, but he kept his smile. “It was a no brainer for me. I know my mom is safe, even if I can’t actually speak to her myself. And I don’t plan to stay away forever. Once I have the means to take care of her on my own, I plan to do that.” He said softly, looking back up at her. Her eyes were glossy, and with her free hand, she reached up, pushing the hair away from his forehead and placed a small kiss on it. Keeping her lips there, she took both arms and wrapped them around his neck, and he mirrored her actions by wrapping his own arms around her waist and pulling her into him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Tamaki,” she whispered against his skin, tightening her grip around him, her slender body pushed up against his own. She moved her lips away from him and rested the side of her head against his, her mouth right next to his ear. “I’m glad you told me,” she whispered even softer, closing her eyes. One of his hands found their way to the back of her head, and he began to play with the ends of her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be sorry, everything will work out,” he assured, just as she pulled away to look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you and your grandmother have an okay relationship, despite everything?” She asked, and his eyes fell sad once more. He shook his head just a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s still not fond of me, but like I said, everything will work out,” he responded, hand still toying with her red hair that was still tied up. “I didn’t tell you any of this to make you feel bad for me. I wanted you to know that you and I can help each other, if we’re honest with each other. We can understand each other,” he explained, making eye contact with her. “If you’ll allow it.” Reina held her breath for a moment, just watching Tamaki and his facial expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He seems genuine, just as he always does. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She gave him a weak smile and nodded. “I’m serious,” he said, his voice a little more stern than it just had been. “I want to be here for you, Reina, but I can only do that if you let me in,” he softly explained, moving his hand to tuck a small strand of her hair that had been left out behind her ear. Her cheeks tinted to a pale pink, and she nodded again, keeping the eye contact they’ve held for so long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve told you much more than I’ve told anyone else, Tamaki. I’m trying, really,” she reassured, and he nodded. She watched him for a little longer before sighing. “I’m sorry. That’s why you wanted to talk to me about France, right? Because you miss it?” She figured, and he once again nodded. Before he could respond, she moved away from their current position. She sat herself down sideways, still in between his legs, letting her own rest across one of his thighs. She kept her arms around his neck, her head falling back to its original spot on his collarbone. “Tell me about France, from your point of view. I want to hear about your life there.” Tamaki readjusted with their new position, one hand sliding around the side of her body, and the other hand rested just above her knee. He sat back against the headboard, bringing Reina further back with him, and he bent his own knees to help in aid of caressing their bodies closer together. Closing his eyes, he smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I spent the most amount of time with my mom. She liked to cook, and I liked to help her,” he started off. “We would cook together each night, at minimum. Normally before bed, I would play her some music,” he reminisced, glancing down at Reina just as she looked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of music?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Piano,” he smiled softly, his thumb rubbing her leg through the fabric of her pajama pants. “I forgot that I haven’t played for you, I’ll need to do that soon,” he said, making a mental note of it. She smiled back up at him before lowering her eyes and head once more, getting comfortable back in her position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love that, Tamaki.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and I had this conversation just the other week. I love my mom, and she’s what I miss most about France, but I definitely have a better social life here in Japan. When I lived in France, I was friendly with everyone, but I wouldn’t say that I had a big group of friends that I could rely on like I could here,” he explained, thinking about all that his fellow hosts had helped him with throughout the years, all the way up to this exact weekend. “I just wasn’t as interested as being involved at that school. I think it’s probably because I’m in charge of the host club, since I started it and all. I wasn’t super interested in joining anyone else’s plans.” Reina nodded a little into his body, understandingly. “The longer I live here, the more it feels like home, but I still think France was amazing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand that,” she nodded, looking up at him. “I’m the same way with New York. It hasn’t really felt like home in a few years, but I’m still in awe with the city itself.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where is home for you, then?” He asked, his fingers starting to trail up and down her back, and she tilted her head back a little both at the pleasure she was getting from it, but also to look up at him more clearly. “You spent the most amount of time in France, but you don’t seem all too thrilled to talk about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nowhere, I guess. I mean here for now. I don’t really have a place that I considered home,” she said, then glanced away, a small smile on her face. “I think I lied on accident. I had one home, one of the ones in France. That felt more like my home than anywhere I had ever been in my life, even my parent’s home before I began to move around.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about them,” he said softly, continuing to scratch her back. Reina closed her eyes, her head tilted back so he could easily look at her, and he did just that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyone can sign up for the host family program. They were a little lower income from what I was used to, so I was a little nervous at first. I was always kind, of course, but worried about how the year would go. When I arrived, I was put in a room with two of their daughters, and part way through the night, their two sons snuck into our room to join us in a slumber party,” she laughed a little at the memory. “And that was on my first night. I hadn’t really felt a sibling relationship until I was in their house, since like I told you, my siblings were a little more sheltered and I had to censor myself. All five of us talked and played all the time, it was really nice. My host parents, they were the only couple I ever saw that I felt were truly happy with one another. She was a stay at home mom, and he worked really hard. But he came home each day, dinner was ready and we all sat at the table waiting for him, and he always walked through with a smile and gave a kiss to his wife. Every day. I was astounded after the first few weeks, I thought it was a show they were putting on to make me feel more at home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s sweet,” he said, admiring the smile she wore while retelling the conversation. “So were you with them for the first or the second year?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was an unusual circumstance, so all of the first, and some of the second,” she said, her smile dropping just a little, but she pushed it right back to how it initially was. “It was one of those strange things that fate did for me. Everything truly does work out, I think, because I got to spend more time in their home than I had anticipated.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of unusual circumstance?” Tamaki eyed her, though her eyes were still closed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The second family wasn’t a correct fit,” she said simply, deciding not to elaborate. “Tamaki, tell me more about your mom,” she smiled, reopening her eyes to see him gazing down at her with a questioning expression, but he pushed past it and nodded. He pulled Reina closer to him so he could rest his chin on her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She was probably much nicer than any person should be. She let a lot of things slip by to keep peace. There were times that I resented my father for allowing his mom to dictate his life, but she always stood up for him and made me realize how little of a choice he really had,” he explained, letting out a little sigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m still not too convinced that he didn’t have a choice though</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. “I think we all think that our parents are wise, but she really is wise. She always seemed to know the answers to everything, she knew how I was feeling before I could put it into words, she always knew the best course of action for my problems that I had. I had some school troubles when I first got to Ouran, since she wasn’t around to help me with homework,” he laughed a little, eyes subconsciously becoming glossed over with tears threatening to fall. “She’s beautiful.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe it. You must get your looks from her, Tama. Her soul sounds beautiful, as well,” she said softly, their eyes still out of reach from each other as his head rested on top of hers. He blinked and felt two tears wisp down his cheeks, hitting the top of Reina’s head at her words. She felt them and darted out from his hold, looking up at him, catching a face as surprised as her own. “Are you okay, Tamaki?” She almost whispered, a little embarrassed of how quickly she had moved away from him. He nodded softly, but pulled her back to his body, letting her head settle on his shoulder so they could still look at each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m okay,” he smiled softly down at her. “She is beautiful, inside and out, like you said. I hope you can meet her one day,” he said out loud, still looking at her. She gazed up at him, then softly, leaned up and left a little kiss on his jawline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe one day,” she nodded, her nose softly butting up against his cheek as her head moved. “How were your last few days there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told my classmates that I would be moving at the end of the year, but taking the last day off of school, so our teacher let them throw me a going away party. It was small, but sweet. I took the last day off, though I wasn’t supposed to, to spend the day with my mom,” he shared, smiling a little again. “It was nice. She wanted to bake for lunch instead of eating something traditional, so we got to do that together one last time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you have that memory,” she said softly, the tip of her nose still rested against his cheek. “Was it hard for you? To leave everything behind?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sort of. I knew it was what I needed to do, and that I had no other choice, so it had to just be what it was,” he admitted, eyes flickering in her direction. “Which is probably how you feel, right?” He asked. She nodded a little bit, closing her eyes and tilting her head further back, bringing her lips back to his jawline and just holding them there. “Like I told you, I get it. But I still talk to some of my old classmates. I think you should, too,” he warned, but Reina made no response. “Even if it’s just from here on out.” After a beat of silence, Reina gave a slow nod, and finally gave him another peck on the jaw before moving her head back down to lay on his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she whispered. “I can try for you. From here on out, at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>~ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki had ended up going back to his room that night, but not until much later. He was still fearful of Connor potentially walking in and Tamaki getting a bad reputation in Reina’s dad’s eyes, so right before they had fallen asleep, he had given her a forehead kiss and snuck back off to his own lonely, untouched bed. In the morning, the host club met up with the two Duffys, and they all got the provided breakfast from the hotel. They had collectively decided that they would probably all head home after the meal, since the majority of them hadn’t even woken up until mid-morning, and it would soon be time to check out. After sending their thanks to everyone individually, Reina giving each of them a hug (despite how weird some of them felt), they all went off to their rooms, quickly packed, and departed. The drive back was pretty similar for the two cars. The boys all were sleeping, or close to it. Reina and Connor were mostly just listening to music, every once in a while discussing the weekend or future plans. Connor had booked a room at his first hotel for one more night, thought he wouldn’t be in it for very much of the day, just in case they needed to go sit somewhere, or if he needed to stop off and nap before his flight. Tamaki and Reina had decided that they would part ways until later in the day whenever he texted Reina to say that Yuzuru was no longer busy, and then the two would head to the Suoh residence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was only about 1 pm when Reina and Connor got to the new hotel, and so they decided to just leave their belongings in the car for now and head in and lounge around for a little while. Once they entered, Reina had checked her phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Home now :) I’ll let you know when it’s a good time to come over. Hopefully time goes by quick!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina let out a little laugh at the text, plopping down on the bed and quickly typing out a response, a smile still lingering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: do you miss me already? ;)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor watched as Reina typed with a grin, then as she put her phone back away, he made eye contact with her, one eyebrow cocked. She furrowed her eyebrows together, so he glanced between the phone and her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I’m just funny is all,” she shrugged. Her phone vibrated and she looked down, reading the short text that read out </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Yes, I do</span>
  </em>
  <span>’, and a little smile came back on her face. “Mostly.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you do like him, right?” Connor asked. Reina jumped out of her trance, eyes widened at her dad. He chuckled softly and sat in the room’s armchair. “Come on, really. You’re seventeen. I figured it would happen soon, I’m not mad.” Reina glanced down, her smile completely faded at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s complicated. You know that. Even if I did, I still might only be around for a year,” she sighed a bit. “Plus, everything else is a little weird too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, start with that. Why is everything else weird?” Connor asked. Reina kicked off her shoes quickly before crossing her legs, draping her hands into her lap and looking down at them, scrunching her face up. “You can talk to me, Rei.” She softly sighed, and started. She began all the way from the first day of school, where he had seemed interested and invited her on a tour, but she clammed up when he mentioned France and shot him down. “So you’re self sabotaging still,” Connor noted, and Reina rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interrupting is so rude,” she said to him, sending him a little smirk, but continued on. “Anyway, he came into one of my classes and asked for me to be excused, and the teacher let me go with him. It was a Friday, and my last class of the day, so he said I could either go on the tour with him or go home and have an early weekend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me guess. You went home early?” He threw out there, a similar smirk on his face. Reina grabbed one of the pillows from the bed and chucked it at his abdomen, though Connor quickly caught it and pretended like he was gonna throw it back with a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For your information, I went with him. Good try though,” she groaned, shaking her head and pulling another pillow to her stomach, to use as a shield in case he were to throw it later in the story. “It went good, but then he invited me to his club,” she said, eyeing him quickly. “He already told you about that disaster,” she grimaced, catching a little snicker out of Connor and she rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, I planned to leave that room and never speak to any of them again out of sheer embarrassment. Clearly that plan didn’t work. I asked Tamaki not to tell anyone about me living with a host family, because I don’t need any questions, but I somehow got roped into attending their club’s dance with that request. When I went in to buy my ticket, Kyoya was busy, so while I was waiting, the twins and Honey sat with me. They began to talk about how they think Tamaki has a crush on Haruhi.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Haruhi, as in the girl we were just with?” He cocked an eyebrow, and she nodded softly. “I don’t think I saw those two even look in the other’s direction when I was around.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They may just be shy around one another,” Reina suggested with a shrug. “But that wasn’t really the weird part. I had only known Tamaki for a few weeks, I don’t care if he likes something else. But remember how I told you seven guys would be accompanying us?” She asked, and he nodded slowly. “Haruhi dresses like a boy at school. Why? I have no clue. I was actually surprised to see her wearing girl’s clothing this weekend. But anyway, when the three told me that, I thought Tamaki was gay. I didn’t find out until the twins showed me Haruhi dressed as a girl at the dance that I attended.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That just sounds like a few miscommunications,” Connor pointed out, and Reina looked back down at the pillow that was pressed against her chest. “There’s more, huh?” She nodded, and he fell silent to let her continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I went on a date a few weeks ago,” she admitted, looking back up at Connor, who simply shrugged, motioning for her to continue. “His name is Hiroto, and before I accepted his date proposal, he told me not to trust Tamaki. Or any of the host club members, for that matter. He said he’s seen enough girls get hurt by expecting something out of them.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I picked up on something like that with that young man who drove us yesterday, right?” Connor asked, and Reina simply blinked back. “You didn’t think I was actually going to sleep and leave you alone with the boy in the group who I knew the least about, right? I was coherent, and I heard you talking about one of your friends.” She eyed him, but nodded a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, weirdo. One of my friends is convinced that Mori is in love with her, and I don’t know how to mention to her that the examples she used to explain his love just sounded like coincidental incidents, so I mentioned it to Mori in hopes that he can clear things up before the end of the year. But that talk I had with my friend really only proved Hiroto’s words, in a way. Girls do seem to fall in love with these guys, whether it be because they’re led on or what, but it made me think more about what Hiroto had said,” she said, then after thinking, gave Connor a little smile. “It doesn’t matter to me, since who knows where I’m going next. Something that’s a little longer than a summer love is fine with me, as long as we’re both prepared to say our goodbyes by March potentially. I just don’t want you getting excited over something that’s not going to be.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sad to hear that you’re going to allow Kimi and Eric to dictate your life that heavily,” Connor said softly after a while of silence, which made Reina’s face drop. “You only have a year until you’re eighteen, and you can do whatever your heart desires at that point. It’s not that much longer after you’re supposed to start your third year. I just want you to remember that you’re not obligated to live on their schedule for that much longer. You really should think about that more often.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re forgetting that I would be eighteen, jobless, and with no money. I couldn’t just pick up and move to wherever I wanted,” she reminded softly, though not looking at him. He sighed a little, sitting back in his chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re forgetting that I’m not stupid, I know that your savings account has to be pretty loaded by now. With your allowance, what you allow me to send, and all the in betweens, I know you don’t spend very much money, and I know you’ve been preparing for the day that they cut you off,” he shook his head a little. “And I’m a little hurt that you don’t think I would help you out with anything. I’ll do anything you need me to do for your happiness. Please keep your options open, Rei.” Reina sent him a sad little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do enough for me, I don’t ever want to ask you for more. Thank you for this weekend, by the way. I had a lot of fun. Are you excited to see Yuzuru?” She asked. He glanced up at her and sighed again, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got to stop deflecting,” he said quietly, and she finally picked up that pillow in her lap, tossing it at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just excited for you to see an old friend! Come on, we talked enough about me. Tell me about your feelings,” she teased. He shook his head a little more, but decided to just give in and talk to her about the reconnection they were going to experience in a few hours. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. A Talk Between Two Fathers (27)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Seven</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reluctantly, and after a little bit of arguing, Connor finally decided to pick her up a few bottles of alcohol, as per Carrie’s request. He came back out to the car with the black bag full of her goodies, and continued on towards her host house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t give those to you,” he sternly reminded, and she nodded with a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope! I found them,” she said simply, pulling out her house key as they pulled up. “I’ll be really quick. Just dropping this and my bag off, and changing really quick, and I’ll be right down. Ten minutes maximum,” she promised, but Connor simply rolled his eyes and sent her a ‘mhm’. She climbed out and quickly skipped up the stairs, entering the home and heading off to her room as quickly as possible, trying not to gain any attention with the glass bottles clinking around in the not-so-subtle liquor store bag. The mission was successful, and after dropping both items into her closet for safe keeping, she quickly began to search for some clothing to wear for the remainder of the day. She took note of the fact that Yuzuru wore a suit to dinner last time, but also that Connor was dressed much more casual, so she picked a quick middle ground by pulling out one of the dresses she had. It was a light blue color, and she had made sure that it was modest, seeing as she was going to be having dinner with Tamaki’s dad. It was a short sleeved knitted dress, that landed just above her knees, and covered her front part modestly, though there was a little dip on the other side of the fabric, revealing the top part of her back. Reina quickly pulled out a pair of leggings and threw them into a small side bag she owned, deciding she would throw those on if her and Tamaki were to go hang out in his room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t need to worry about whether my dress is riding up or not,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself. After taking a quick glance at herself in the mirror, smoothing out the dress as well as she could, she headed back out, threw her shoes on in the foyer, and slipped back out of the house before anyone could see her. Connor gave her a little smile as she reappeared in the car, and he started their drive once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you nervous, at all?” She asked him, and he furrowed his eyebrows a bit, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not at all,” he truthfully responded, casting a glance back at her. “Yuzuru and I have always been on good terms, we’ve never had problems. I’m excited to get to see him again. Why, are you nervous for me to see Tamaki’s dad?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would I be afraid of that?” She asked, picking at one of her finger nails. He let out a soft chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He and I might get along so well that I might be making more trips out here to Japan,” he laughed. “And maybe we’ll start pushing for a way to join our families,” he teased, but Reina’s amusement fell practically to the floor, her entire body stilling. “I’m just joking,” he said quickly, though confusion washed over him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She can normally take a joke,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought softly, looking back over at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki told me that his dad was a part of an arranged marriage. Do you think Tamaki will be placed in an arranged marriage as well?” She asked, thinking about the conversation they had last night. Connor sighed a bit as he pulled into the Suoh estate gates, pulling the car to a park and turning to look at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have that answer for you, unfortunately. I think, at this point, Yuzuru knows that arranged marriages aren’t feasible. But I think it depends on who’s truly in charge of Tamaki. If his grandmother is still around,” Connor trailed off, looking up at the large double doors just as Tamaki propped one open, sending a large, excited wave to the car. “Tamaki may have that answer, though. Maybe you should ask him.” He sent the words over to Reina, who seemed deep in thought, but she gave a soft nod before climbing out of the car and returning the wave to Tamaki, pressing a smile to her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s in his office, but I don’t think he’s doing much work,” Tamaki admitted as the two made their way up to him. “He reminded me to send Reina up to say hi before dinner, since we still have about an hour until then. So I figure she can peek her head in and say hi, and then Connor can head in after and surprise him,” he grinned, receiving a little nod from each of the red heads in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he’ll be super surprised!” Reina said, glancing down at the hand Tamaki held out of her, and she cautiously grabbed it, feeling a bit odd after the conversation she had just taken part in. “Lead the way,” she smiled softly. Tamaki did just that, leading the two through the house and up the stairs, in the opposite direction as Tamaki’s room was in. He finally stopped at a door, turning to Reina and knocking for her. Connor stood back, taking a similar stance to his daughter’s the first time she had been in the home, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, a little smile on his face. A cheery ‘come in’ could be heard, and Tamaki pushed the door open, revealing Yuzuru at his desk. Like he had said, he didn’t seem too busy. The elder man was relaxed back in his chair, the papers in front of him had been neatly stacked up and clearly hadn’t been touched anytime recently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina! Happy belated birthday,” he smiled softly, waving her in. She glanced back at Tamaki, who instead of following her in, just let go of her hand and motioned her in. “How was the weekend? Were you surprised?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was amazing,” she smiled as she walked in, hands clasped in front of her. “I was surprised, but I think I might have surprised Tamaki as well. We’ll have to tell you about it later,” she laughed a little in thought of their encounter on Saturday afternoon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait, I love surprises,” Yuzuru chuckled, turning back to Tamaki, who had gone a little pink at the mention of how the two met up in the hotel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Glad to hear that,” Connor said as he came into view in the doorway. “I was starting to get worried that you weren’t really the surprise type of guy.” Yuzuru’s eyes widened and he immediately stood, looking between the three people. “Tamaki was probably sorely shocked to find Reina’s dad with her on a birthday trip,” he mused, walking forward. Finally, Yuzuru grinned, letting out a low chuckle and holding his hand out, the two embracing in a tight handshake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we all got surprised then, this weekend,” Yuzuru laughed, letting go of his hand finally. “Will you be joining us for dinner?” Connor nodded a little, so Yuzuru swiftly turned to the two kids, and Tamaki had now joined Reina's side in the room. “Dinner should be in about an hour, why don’t you two go off and we’ll meet back up then?” The two nodded quickly and walked back out of the room, hand in hand. Yuzuru and Connor both watched the couple walk out, the door closing behind them. Yuzuru laughed a little bit, but held in his words until the sounds of footsteps ceased. “What a crazy world, huh? That our kids met and seem to get along so well?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We always got along, so I guess it does make sense. They’re sort of hardwired to like one another,” Connor laughed, nodding a bit as he took a seat across from Yuzuru. “He seems like a good kid.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Likewise,” Yuzuru nodded, sitting, and Connor cocked a little eyebrow, chuckling just a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good is a nice compliment to define Reina, yes,” he nodded, but when he met confusion, he dropped the humor. “Has she been good out here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve noticed a few things here and there, such as my son sneaking off to her house,” Yuzuru ignored the slight grimace he got, “But I trust Tamaki, and she seems to be good, aside from just being a teenager in some ways. I should probably mention to her that her teacher has noticed her leaving school during study hall, but if we set disciplinary actions on that, the whole school would be in detention, so it’s typically just something we speak to parents about.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well perfect, done,” Connor sort of laughed, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he thought about the idea of a call being made to Eric and Kimi. “I’ll speak to her about it.” Yuzuru watched him, before sliding over and pen and a piece of paper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about from now on, I make those sorts of calls to you?” He suggested. Connor nodded softly, jotting both his number and email address down and sliding it back over. “Our principal had been avoiding the phone call, anyway. In these situations, it’s hard to know whether to call the host family or the biological, and from what I know about Eric, I never had an interest in making that call,” he chuckled, and Connor gave him an understanding nod, eyebrows furrowed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good plan,” he almost muttered, looking back up at Yuzuru. “I’m sure Reina will appreciate that, as well. Thank you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I mentioned it to you the last time we spoke, but Kimi ceased all contact with me shortly after your arrest,” He started, glancing over at Connor, who was just nodding. “Can I assume that might have to do with the husband?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not the first of her friends that had reached out to me with the same predicament, so I can only assume it was because of him. Probably more to do with her parents, though. I’m sure it didn’t have much to do with shame or anything, because she knew that none of you were like that,” Connor noted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, just our devil parents,” Yuzuru chuckled sadly, shaking his head. Connor watched him for another moment, before peeking at the door to make sure it was closed and turning back to the man in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will admit, I was very surprised when Reina introduced him to me as a Suoh. I had been under the impression from our last conversation that Tamaki had been living with his mother in France, and was essentially banned from here by your mom,” Connor began, letting a little laugh out. “The poor kids, they must have thought I had no clue who he was when I wasn’t talking. I was just mildly confused. I then maybe assumed that your mom wasn’t in the picture anymore, but Tamaki had mentioned her in passing, so I crossed that off my list of potential answers.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After my divorce, I think my mother came to the realization that I would only be having one kid, and knew she needed to finally recognize Tamaki as the next Suoh heir. That hasn’t come easy to anyone. I mean, you knew my mother,” he chuckled. “She has not been kind. It’s been hard for me to be the one in the middle, trying to play peacemaker. I will commend Tamaki, he’s done very well despite her horrible attitude towards him.” Connor nodded very softly. “I guess that’s a good leadway into the question I was going to ask. I’m very shocked, I never thought Kimi would send off one of her kids for years on end. I stared at that application for a long time, trying to figure out if it was some sort of typo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think Kimi will be doing that with any other children of hers. In a way, I think that she did this for Reina. I spent a long time being angry with their actions, sending my girl even further away from me, away from the rest of her family. But I had been around the house a few times while Eric had been home, though very few times did it happen, it was awful. Reina never seemed happy, she was always holding her tongue,” he smiled sadly. “I actually don’t think I knew the real Reina until she started moving. She was really censored, in every aspect. I wish I could have taken her in, but it just wasn’t in the cards. They weren’t going to allow it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I assume you’re not aware of the next move she’ll be taking on?” Yuzuru asked, clasping one hand over his fist as he rested back in his seat, and Connor shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If she comes into school at the beginning of the school year and has language classes preassigned to her, then we have that hint. She didn’t have that this year, but I’m trying not to get excited about that. There’s always the possibility of getting sent somewhere that she already knows the language of. Quite a few English speaking countries that they could pick through,” he laughed a little. Yuzuru nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The application was sent with a note for next year, essentially just saying her attendance there next year was to be determined. She’s been approved for both years, but that last year has yet to be picked up,” Yuzuru noted to Connor, who simply nodded. “I’m sure she enjoys sightseeing and the different experiences. But you just said that you’re trying not to get excited, as if in hopes that she’ll be attending Ouran again. Is that correct?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d think she’d enjoy the traveling, wouldn’t you?” Connor asked, sighing a bit. “I thought so too. But she was never told that she would be leaving Italy until they sent her to France, so that was a rough month for her. Then France had its own problems, so by the time she got to Holland, I had noticed she was pretty detached from everything. She got into a lot of trouble there, I was surprised that she didn’t get ripped from the program then. But I think a lot of what happened with her in that country stayed between her and her host family, just being punished by being grounded and such. She seems to be doing better here. I’ve never seen her as open with anyone as she is with your son,” he laughed a little bit. “I’m still shocked that she even came and had dinner with you. She also asked me a strange question today, which means her and Tamaki probably talk about their lives with each other.” Yuzuru raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What might that question be?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose Tamaki mentioned your first marriage was an arranged marriage. When we were pulling up to your home, Reina asked if I thought Tamaki would also have to marry someone not of his own picking.” Yuzuru nodded softly, a somber expression casting across his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I intend to try and prevent that, if I can. It didn’t work for me, and I don’t think it would ever work for Tamaki. He’s a passionate young man, so I don’t see him as the type to marry someone out of anything but love,” he explained, then chuckled a little. “Why? Was she looking to put in an application?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not,” Connor chuckled a bit as well, but vigorously shook his head. “She would never agree to an arranged marriage, no matter the details. She’s even convinced that she doesn’t want to marry. I think she was more so just asking out of concern for her friend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” Yuzuru nodded, then eyed him. “We all thought Kimi would never agree to an arranged marriage, and I never thought I would either, so let’s just hope that Kimi and Eric aren’t going to try and set her up with someone. We wouldn’t know the real outcome of those circumstances until they happened. And do you believe she’ll never marry?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, she’ll definitely marry, I think. All this moving has messed her up perspective a lot. I think she believes her life will always be like this, so with that mentality, her planning to never marry is probably because she thinks she’s going to be uprooted all the time in her adult life as well,” Connor explained a little, and when he caught the confused look from Yuzuru, he decided to elaborate. “She’s under the impression that after high school, a college will be picked for her, and then most likely a career, which is probably a true statement if she allows that to happen. Unfortunately for her, I don’t think there’s any chance she’ll be the next owner of Lux. Kimi’s parents hate me, and therefore are not fond of her. I kinda think that she’s aware of that fact as well, but they’ve never said it outright so we’ve never fully discussed it. I’ve told her that when she turns eighteen next year, she can drop from the program and do what she wishes. But I think she’s just worried about making a decision that makes her lose her mom and siblings forever,” Connor finally concluded, and Yuzuru nodded in understanding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what of your magazine? Who do you plan to pass that down to?” Yuzuru asked, and Connor scoffed a bit, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My eldest daughter really is a stubborn one. I had mentioned in passing once that I would like to pass it down to her, seeing as she is my first born and all, but she blew up at me. Told me that it’s April’s birthright - my other and youngest daughter - seeing as she’s the only Duffy, legally. I tried to argue that, but she just hung up on me and wouldn’t return my calls until I changed the subject a few weeks later. We haven’t talked about it since, but I’m sure she still holds the same stance.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You say stubborn, and I say humble,” Yuzuru nodded softly, giving a little smile. “I can see why Tamaki likes her, truly.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And he does like her?” Connor asked, probing a bit, trying to figure out some answers from their hotel room conversation. “I can say it seems like it, but I don’t know him well enough to have a grasp on it. Is he typically like that with other girls?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you aware of his little club?” Yuzuru asked, eying the redhead who gave a short nod. Yuzuru rolled his eyes in the slightest. “I assumed that was why the question came up. I’ll admit, I wasn’t thrilled when he told me the premise of it, but he seems really happy in it. I never heard too much about extracurriculars in France from him, so when I saw he was meeting new people and blossoming more, I figured it may be for the best. However, despite him hanging out with a bunch of girls all day, he’s still never brought another girl around until Reina. He would talk about some in passing, but Reina’s the first that he mentioned time and time again. Supposedly she had gone on a date a few weeks ago, and you should have seen him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seen him?” Connor asked, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here in the house. He wasn’t even eating, just staring down at his phone in his lap,” Yuzuru nodded. “When I finally asked, he told me that Reina was on a date, and that he was checking his phone to make sure everything was going okay. I guess he had told her if she needed help of any kind, he would go get her right away. When I went to say goodnight to him, he was still up staring at that phone. He said waiting for her to text that she made it home safely. I’ve definitely never seen that behavior out of him before.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” Connor nodded a bit, then smiled softly. “That’s good to hear.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just hope Kimi and Eric show some mercy and let her finish out the rest of high school here in Japan. I don’t really want to see how bad that situation will be at the end of this school year if she’s going to be shipped off,” Yuzuru finally said, checking the time. “It’s about time to head down there. Though it’s not quite been an hour, we can start on some drinks, if you’re up for that,” he said, standing. “I typically let Tamaki have a glass or two of wine on special occasions, something that his mother would let him do back in France. Though, I don’t want to offer that to the kids without your permission, in case you don’t want Reina partaking.” Connor huffed a bit as he pulled himself out of the chair, but then let out a small little chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her birthday gifts were way less than a glass or two, so I don’t mind,” he said, casting a look at Yuzuru and shaking his head. “Teenagers. And teenage girls, no less. And to think I have to do it all over again with April,” he sighed as his friend let out a low laugh, before they departed out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With full intentions to head to the dining room, they quickly got distracted when they heard sounds coming from one of the front rooms. Yuzuru instinctively began towards the room, and Connor simply followed. The door was already ajar, and as they both looked in, they saw Reina and Tamaki both sitting on a piano bench, faced away from the pair. Tamaki continued to play his ballad, but his arm was tightly wrapped around Reina as he played. Her head was rested against his side, just listening in awe, eyes closed. One of her arms was wrapped loosely around his side. The two fathers watched with small smiles, before leaving them back to their peace and heading towards the dining room. Somehow, the two of them both had the same thoughts, as they began to wonder if their children had found their ones. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the full hour that they had been advised, Tamaki and Reina had made their way into the dining room to meet up with the two elders. In front of the men, two glasses with whiskey and ice sat, with the bottle sitting between them as they sat next to each other. Reina and Tamaki moved to sit across from their own fathers, and Reina noticed the wine glasses in front of them with the bottle in between their glasses. She sent a little, ‘innocent’ grin to Connor, who simply rolled his eyes back at her as the two sat. Tamaki, who had been used to this in a way, moved to fill up their glasses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she smiled to Tamaki, then turned her direction to Yuzuru and gave him a little nod. As the food came out, they all began to talk about the weekend they had, talking about how Reina had caught Tamaki and all about the aquarium, the dinner. Yuzuru turned to pour more whiskey in Connor’s glass, which Tamaki watched closely. Connor let out a little chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your boy and his friends are protective,” Connor pointed out to Yuzuru, picking up his glass and held it up to Tamaki before taking a sip. “This is only the third, and probably the last. Promise,” he chuckled again, turning to Reina who was now pouring her second glass. “Worry about that one there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were they counting your drinks last night?” Yuzuru laughed, ignoring as Tamaki’s face went pink, a little too flustered to say anything to Reina as she filled up his glass with his second drink as well, though her pours were a little more liberal than his initial one had been. Connor nodded a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mind, though, I found it a little endearing that they were worried about Reina’s wellbeing if I were to have driven. I was going to get us a cab anyway after the waiter brought over the fifth glass, even though I was fine,” Connor nodded, and Reina rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were asleep in the back as soon as we got in,” she reminded, and he laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t, I recited your whole conversation in the car, remember?” He teased, but she simply picked up her wine glass and took a drink. Tamaki shot a look between the two of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised Mori talked very much,” he noted, and Reina shrugged as Connor chuckled again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think my daughter did most of the talking, she’s pretty good at that,” he mused, setting his drink back down to look at Yuzuru, who looked amused but confused. “The tall quiet boy, I was told his name was Takashi, drove us back to the hotel when I mentioned that I would just call a cab for us. It saved me some money, but mostly some time in the morning, so I was appreciative of the gesture.” Yuzuru gave a little smile, finishing off his own glass and going to pour more, but Connor beat him to it and refilled the cup in Yuzuru’s hand for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Most of Tamaki’s friends seem very kind, I’m not at all upset at the group of friends he picked for himself. Some of them confused me a little, but they’ve seemed to do nothing but good in that group,” Yuzuru beamed, sending a little smile off to Tamaki who beamed at the compliment. “And I assume your conversation with the boy went well, Reina? He was nice to you?” Yuzuru pressed on, picking up on his son’s curiosity and hoping he could help pave the way to give him the answers he was seeking out. Reina nodded, picking up her glass and taking another sip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re all very nice,” she reiterated with a nod. “Mori is quiet, but clearly very kind. Though I never really doubted that,” she glanced over at Tamaki, who was watching her intently. “Though, you did a good job, because your son is definitely the nicest of the bunch.” Yuzuru beamed at her, but out of the corner of his eye, watched as Tamaki’s entire body seemed to relax at her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad to hear that,” he smiled, taking another swig of the drink in his hand, just as the dessert was brought out. “I hope you three aren’t sugared out after the weekend, I outsourced these for Reina’s birthday,” he said, motioning to the cupcakes that had been brought out. Reina smiled softly at Yuzuru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to, that was kind of you,” she smiled, then looked over at Tamaki who was setting a plate with one in front of her. “I see where you get it from,” she softly said to Tamaki, who chuckled softly. As everyone began to dig into the dessert, Tamaki glanced up at Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What time do you have to leave?” He asked. Connor glanced down at his watch, and after a second of thought, put his arm back down to look at Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I probably need to be at the airport by at least midnight, to get through customs and such. But I’d probably need to leave earlier, since you two both have school in the morning and will be way too tired,” Connor said, wiping his hands in preparation to stand to leave, but Yuzuru stopped him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki already informed me that these two finished their work early and haven’t been doing anything in their first class, and you’re like family, so I can easily write them passes to get into school late,” he explained with a smile, then turned to Reina. “Consider it your final pass to skip a class excused. I’ve already spoken to your dad about it, but Mr. Goto has noticed your absence the last few days. You’re not in trouble, but let’s try to stay at school from now on, huh?” He mused a bit, and Reina’s cheeks flared up pink. She blinked a few times before softly nodding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm, understood, thank you,” she was able to get out, and Tamaki let out a little chuckle at the sight of her so nervous. Yuzuru joined his son in a little laugh, shaking his head and continuing to eat the cupcake in front of him. The conversation easily shifted from there to the project the couple had just finished, to their studies, to just Ouran in general. The elders had ceased their drinking, but neither seemed to notice as Reina and Tamaki continued to pour drinks for one another, the bottom of the wine bottle becoming more and more clear. It was about 11:45 when Connor finally stood, stretching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s time for my departure,” he said, turning to Reina. “Or, our departure?” He questioned, cocking a little eyebrow. She turned back to Tamaki, who just gave her a weak smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to be late, my house is out of the way. I can just call the family’s car,” she said softly, standing to walk him out, followed by the remaining two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just about to mention that tidbit,” Yuzuru nodded, and gave Connor a little smile. “She’ll be safe.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t sound like she’s going home,” Connor yawned a bit, but finally let out a little chuckle. “But safe is sufficient. Thank you for your hospitality, Yuzuru.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When I say anytime, I mean anytime. All three of us will walk you out,” Yuzuru responded, turning to the two teenagers, then glancing down at the bottle of wine that only had about a fourth of it left in it, but he dismissed it for the moment to begin to head towards the front doors. As they walked out, all four stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Connor turned to the two men, giving them another thank you, before turning down to Reina who had a sad little smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll come back soon,” he said softly, giving her a smile. “And we need to figure out a time for you to come meet April,” he reminded, and she gave a soft nod. Connor glanced over at Tamaki before smiling again. “You could bring a friend, if you wanted,” he mused, watching as his daughter blushed up again. He leaned down, giving her the type of bear hug only a dad could really give, before letting go and giving her a little nod. “Love you, be safe,” he called before getting back into the car and after some waving, drove out of their view. Yuzuru turned to the couple, who had found each other’s hands once more, and shook his head a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have no use for the amount of wine that was left in there, so as long as there are going to be no sick kids in my house tonight, you’re free to finish it off,” he said, then began to walk back up the steps. “I can get you both out of school until your lunch period. Don’t ask for this again, I’m only this generous for birthdays,” he teased, taking the last few steps and disappearing into the house. Reina glanced up at Tamaki, who was already looking at her. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Tipsy First Kiss (28)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Eight</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Care to join me in a final glass of wine, then?” She mused, a blush still slightly lingering. He chuckled nervously but nodded, leading her up the steps and back into the dining room. The table had already been cleared, everything aside from the almost empty bottle and their glasses. They took their original seats and Reina crossed her legs on the chair, criss cross style, but quickly made sure that her dress was bundled up in her lap to not reveal too much. He poured out the remainder of the bottle amongst the two glasses, giving them each a pretty suitable amount. “You seemed taken aback that I asked for alcohol for my birthday. Have you ever drank this much?” She asked, and he shook his head a little. “You’re not going to throw up, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he quickly defended, peeking up at her as he took a drink. “Have you ever drank more than this much?” He asked, and she softly nodded. “When?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mostly in the Netherlands, though, my first time getting drunk was in France. Only a few times there, I think,” she admitted. He raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were only fifteen in France, right?” He asked, and she nodded again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And only seventeen here, but both are illegal, right?” She pointed out, and he nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but fifteen seems so young,” he pondered out loud. She looked over at their generously poured glasses and stood, grabbing her glass with one hand and holding her free hand out for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to go to your room? Or outside? I just don’t think I can sit at the table any longer,” she laughed a bit. He took her hand and stood, grabbing his own glass with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can do both,” he beamed, tugging her in the direction of his room. Once they got up there, he led her to a set of double doors inside his room and opened them up, revealing a patio with a little loveseat couch and coffee table on it. He ran over to an outlet, plugging in a hanging strand of lights, which illuminated the patio up. Reina gazed at it, before smiling over at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s so pretty,” she said, still looking up at the lights in awe as she leaned against the railing, taking another drink of wine. She glanced over at him. “So you’ve never drank this much before. How do you feel?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” he reassured, walking to her side and leaning against the railing next to her. “I mean, good, but fine. I’m not gonna go crazy or anything,” he said. She nodded, leaning her head against the side of his arm, lifting the glass back up to her lips. “Is it surprising that I haven’t drank very much?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very,” she laughed a little, looking up at him. “I’m surprised you and your guy friends don’t drink at all, or that you haven’t been to a party where you got drunk, or that you haven’t gotten drunk with a girl or anything,” she elaborated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I seem like the type of guy to get drunk with girls?” He asked defensively, looking back down at her. She shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you seem popular,” she retorted with a little laugh. “I didn’t mean it as an insult, I’m sorry if that’s how it came across. I don’t think there’s a ‘type’ for that. Cheers to your first time drinking with a girl, then,” she said with a grin, clicking their glasses together, then finished off the rest of her glass. She stepped to the side, setting her glass down on the coffee table. Tamaki had to take an extra large drink to keep up with her, but cleared his glass as well, before setting it down and moving back to the railing with Reina. They both stood out, looking up at the sky, one of his arms wrapping around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Outside of the club, I don’t really hang out with girls,” he finally admitted. She blinked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, have you ever been on a date?” She asked softly. “Like, a real one?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like a real one? No, I guess I haven’t,” he said softly, trying to think about it. “I went on a movie date once in France, but it was a double date, and it was more like just going with friends,” he recounted, then tried to think some more. “All of the excursions I took here in Japan with girls normally had to do with the club. Sometimes we’ll do fundraisers, and the highest bidders will get a date with us, but aside from those, no.” Reina turned her body to face him, and he quickly mirrored, their bodies only inches apart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I take you on your first date next weekend, then?” She asked softly, gazing up at him. His eyes widened a little and he blinked a few times, staring down at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he finally said, but quickly followed up. “But I’d love to take you out on my first date next weekend.” She furrowed her eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the difference between those two statements?” She asked, trying to read back the words in her head to find the discrepancy. He chuckled softly, his other hand landing on her waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to take you out, not the other way around,” he corrected, and she quickly rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After how much I’m sure you’ve spent this weekend, I’m paying for the next five dates,” she softly mumbled. He grinned a little, leaning down to make their faces even closer than they were previously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not paying for any of them, but I’m glad to hear that I’m guaranteed at least five dates with you,” he mused, voice low. Her smile gleamed up at him and she pushed herself onto her toes, closing the distance even more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll promise you ten if you let me pay,” she almost whispered, their eyes connecting. It felt really fast, from the moment that the thought entered Tamaki’s mind before he actually did it. Taking the arm that was already wrapped around her, he lifted her body higher as he crashed his lips into hers, holding her to his own body. After the initial shock factor, Reina’s arms slid around his neck to assist him in the hold, returning the kiss briskly. It started off sweet, but the mixture of the two’s built up passion and lust, with the wine, shortly turned their kiss into something much rougher. Tamaki was taking initiative, nibbling on her bottom lip every few moments, and he continued to do so when he heard little moans fly out of Reina’s mouth. She took her previously dangling legs and wrapped them around his waist, holding herself even closer to him as he continued. Slowly, being sure of where he was going, he walked the two of them back in through the ajar door. Once closing it behind him, he leaned up against the glass, holding Reina closer to him. His hands made their way to the underside of her thighs, his fingers touching the bare skin under her dress, but mentally made sure not to move his hands too far up. She pulled away from his lips, but quickly made her way to his ear, softly nibbling on his lobe before planting a soft kiss right below it, leaving a trail of kisses as she made her way to his neck. He took a shaky breath, letting his head fall back against the door and open his skin up to her much more. She continued to make a line all the way across him, before using one hand to pull down his shirt, biting a soft spot near his collarbone. He jolted a little, but kept hold of her, and closed his eyes. He groaned a little bit, but bit onto his lip to silence himself. Reina kissed that area softly, giving it an occasional bite here or there, before beginning to suck softly on the spot. She made sure that the spot she was on couldn’t be seen if he had a shirt on, but Tamaki couldn’t find the energy to care about that in the moment, his breathing now rough and sporadic. After being sure that the spot she had fixated on was marked, she moved her lips back up, making another trail of soft kisses up the front of his neck, to his chin, then back to his lips, pressing hers against his again. They went back at it again, but as he began to move again, she stilled for a moment. He didn’t seem to notice, and as he set her down on the bed, she pulled away, giving him a sheepish little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We - we can’t,” she said softly, not realizing how breathless she was until that moment. He blinked, still hovering over her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s never even been on a date. I can’t take his virginity, not like this. Probably not at all. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, I understand,” he said softly, but kept his hands on her. “Will you still stay tonight?” He asked quietly, and she gave him a smile and a nod. He stood up, but quickly turned away, trying to conceal the tent he was currently pitching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any clothes I could borrow? Just a shirt, maybe?” She asked, and he gave a quick nod as he darted over towards the closet, searching for something suitable. Finally he came back, handing over a larger grey shirt. The issue in his pants had yet to subside, though Reina didn’t seem to notice. “Thank you. Are you going to change as well?” She asked, and he gave another nod, heading back into the closet to grab his own clothes. Absentmindedly, Reina stood from the bed and pulled her dress over her head, grabbing onto the shirt to pull it on, just as Tamaki strolled back out with his own pajamas tucked against his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna go to the bathroom to change,” he announced, turning to see Reina, only wearing a matching set of black, lacey bra and underwear, looking like a deer in headlights. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, grabbing the shirt quickly and throwing it over her head, pulling it on. “I thought you were just going to change in there, I thought I had longer,” she explained. Once the shirt was over her face, Tamaki noticed the red color she had taken on. “You can just change in here, I won’t look,” she suggested, both turning around and covering her eyes with one hand. Tamaki, who was still shocked, just stared at her. The shirt he had given her was definitely large on her small frame, but it still only stopped right below where her underwear could be seen, just hardly covered. With her arm raised to cover her eyes, one side of the fabric was lifted, just a peek of the lace showing at the bottom. His eyes ran down her long legs, and finally he turned away, biting down hard on his lip. “Just let me know when you’re done,” Reina said quietly. Tamaki hastily began to strip down, the boner he had just started to contain had come back in full force. He pulled the fabric over his legs, then up to his hips, and glanced back down at the shirt he had grabbed, deciding to scrap it for the night. Casting it to the side, along with his other clothes, he finally cleared his throat, but Reina still didn’t turn. She was trying to calm her blush down. He took the few steps it took to get to her, reaching out and touching her waist, causing her to jump a little bit, but she dropped her hand from her eyes and turned to face him. “I’m sorry,” she said again. He finally let out a little laugh, but it was hoarse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he said, leaning down to kiss her again, but stopped. “Can I?” He asked quietly, and she nodded just a bit, one hand reaching up to cup his cheek. He leaned back down fully, pressing their lips together once more. He leaned his whole body down again to scoop her up, this time going bridal style, holding her body in both of his arms. She shifted to face him better, keeping her hand on his face, even as he climbed into the bed. After holding her in his grasp for a few more moments, still fully invested in their kiss, he set her down and moved to hover on top of her. She pulled away again, once again moving down, but this time moved to the other collarbone, beginning her teasing, kissing, and sucking there. Tamaki let out a low groan, his arms slightly shaking underneath his weight combined with the pleasure shocking through his body, but he stayed in place as she left her mark for the second time - this time, much easier with the lack of a shirt on his body. She pulled away from the spot and moved her way back up, giving him little kisses all over his neck, jawline, cheek, and then finally, stopping on a little peck on his lips, and glanced back up at him. He came back to, reopening his eyes to look back down at her, before moving off of her and to the side. She turned her body and slowly started to run her fingers up and down the side of his body that was open to her, which made his eyes snap back shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry I can’t help you out any further,” she said softly as she laid her head on his chest, and though she didn’t have to say the words, he knew that she had noticed the stiffness in his pants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize,” he responded quietly. Her hand had stopped moving, and gently, he took her hand and used it to continue. Reina quickly got the hint and let out a little laugh, moving her fingers back in their original pathing. “Reina?” He asked softly, and she looked up at him, with a little ‘hm?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready to hear the rest of that story, about that thing you heard,” he quietly whispered to her. “You had said that if I didn’t get feelings hurt, then you would tell me the rest about what that person said about me.” She sighed softly, nuzzling her head into his bare chest and nodding. He reached down with one hand and grabbed the underside of her thigh once more, pulling her closer to him as he prepared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s underwhelming, at best. I don’t think I left out too much, aside from the circumstances it was said to me. Do you remember when you took me out of theatre class?” She asked, and he nodded softly. “That was on a Friday, so when I went in on Monday, Hiroto - the guy I went on a date with recently - asked me what happened. I didn’t lie or anything, I just said you took me on a tour. He called it a date, I said it wasn’t. He told me that it was, and that was what you did to every girl. That you would take them out for an afternoon, invite them to your host club, and then forget about them,” she admitted softly, keeping her head pressed into his chest. “I thought for a minute that he was just saying all that because he still wanted to go on a date with me, you know, out of jealousy or something. But he seemed to be giving me a genuine warning, or so he felt it was. He’s mentioned it since then, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And do you believe him?” He asked again, just as he did that first time the encounter was mentioned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, mostly, but like I said, perspective is everything. Someone may feel led on, whereas another doesn’t. I already told you that I don’t think you’ve ever done anything like that intentionally,” she reiterated, glancing up at him. “That was actually what Mori and I talked about, in a way. Emica, from our class, is convinced Mori is in love with her. She told me so when we went dress shopping for the dance. Yesterday, when Mori was driving, I mentioned it to him. I told him that Emica expects him to ask her out or something before he graduates at the end of the year, in hopes that he can set the record straight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know he doesn’t return those feelings?” Tamaki asked simply, and she peered up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, does he?” She responded. He blinked a few times before shaking his head a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so,” he admitted. Reina nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And if he does, then no harm, no foul, right? It’s easier to mention to him that someone might have the wrong feelings about his feelings, than for me to tell Emica that what she feels as love might just be a little host favoritism or something. He seemed relieved that I told him. We talked a little bit about if that happens often, a girl falling in love with a host just because they’re being friendly, and he said it didn’t happen too often with him since he’s quiet,” Reina continued, then smiled very softly at the memory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you guys talk about anything else?” He probed a bit more, and she simply let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I said I can’t imagine how many girls might fall in love with you or the twins,” she said, catching his wide eyes at the part about the twins. “They jumped on me my first time in your club, with nobody else around, I can’t imagine how intense they are with everyone else watching. And with you, I mentioned how much girls must fall for your grand gestures,” she elaborated, turning to her back so she could look up at him easier. “I used the weekend as an example, but Mori told me that you’d never done anything as grand as that before,” she admitted, looking up at his face that had slowly been turning pink. He let out a nervous little chuckle, before moving some hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well when he was going to his room, he told me that he liked you,” he said, watching as Reina’s eyebrows furrowed together. “For me. And that was how he said it, too, with that pause,” he chuckled the tiniest bit. “I thought I had competition.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, are you sure you don’t?” She teased, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only with some guy who doesn’t like me, apparently,” he retorted, thinking about their conversation. “Why did you decide to go on a date with him, again?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To get out of the house, give him a chance, I don’t know,” she trailed off, then laughed a little. “I thought my other suitor was gay for a bit there, so you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was he nice to you?” Tamaki asked softly, looking down at her. She glanced back up at him and nodded softly. “Do you plan to go on another with him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you turn off the light before we continue this conversation, please?” She asked him softly. He gave a little nod, jumping out of bed and heading quickly towards the light switch, flicking it off before rejoining her. He noticed slightly that his shirt had ridden up on her, but tried not to stare as he climbed back into bed next to her. Once he settled in and she moved back into his arms, she began to speak again. “Possibly. It’s not out of the equation,” she glanced up at him to gauge his expression, but couldn’t make it out. “Like I told him, and like I’m telling you now, I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t find it fair to force anyone into being exclusive with me if I may only be here for a few more months. Therefore, Hiroto can date who he wants, but if he’s free some weekend and wants to go out, I’m not opposed. And the same goes for you, I’d love to go on dates with you and to continue to be around you, but if you go on a date with another girl, I wouldn’t be upset. We’re all working towards one of two end goals, either fun or a family. And I won’t be here long enough to create a family with anyone,” she laughed a little at the wording choices she used, but pushed on. “So use me for fun.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like that thinking,” he admitted. “Especially that last sentence. I don’t want to use you for anything. And if someone wants you enough, they’d wait for you. We don’t have that much longer of high school, you know,” he reminded her, looking down at Reina, who had closed her eyes at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but it’s not fair for me to ask someone to be exclusive with me and also wait for me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love isn’t always fair,” he said simply, still looking at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but we’re not talking about love, right?” She asked, finally opening her eyes to look up at him. “We’re talking about dates, and high school romances?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But if we were talking about love?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then the conversation would be slightly different, I think,” she said softly, furrowing her eyebrows. “I already told you not to fall in love with me, so I know we’re not having that predicament,” she teased a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I fall in love with you, will you allow me to make you my girlfriend, and let me wait for you?” He asked simply, watching her. She sat still, just watching him for a few moments before nodding softly. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before letting his head fall back onto the pillow, pulling her body closer into his. “Be prepared, then.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alcohol makes you bold, huh?” She mused, but let out a little yawn as she settled into him. “Goodnight, Tamaki.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, my princess.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Two Little Hickeys (29)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Twenty Nine</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as the last time, Reina woke up before Tamaki had. Their positions were much less scandalous than they had been the first morning that the pair woke up in the same bed, but as Reina shifted a bit in her spot in an attempt to stretch, she realized just how tight of a hold Tamaki had on her. They both were turned on their sides, facing towards each other, but one of Tamaki’s arms was underneath her, holding Reina by her waist into him. His other hand was still holding the underside of her thigh, her leg was bent and wrapped around his top hip. The side of Tamaki’s face was smushed against his pillow, his eyes still pressed shut. The curtains were drawn, so Reina had no way to tell how late it may have been. Even the alarm clock was on his side of the bed, his body covering her view from it. Slowly, Reina reached her hand up and began to run her fingers across his chest, her pointer finger circling the small little hickeys she had left on his collarbones. Tamaki shifted slightly, instinctively moving his head back to give her more of his skin. Her fingers continued to trail, moving up to the side of his head, to his ear where she circled his earlobe, then moving her fingers to the side. Reina ran one finger down from the top of his jaw, down to where his chin was, admiring how sharp the bone was. Her hand moved up further and finally caressed the cheek that was available to her, slowly running her thumb across his smooth skin. She felt his cheek twitch as a little smile appeared on his lips, but his eyes remained shut, so she continued to stroke his soft cheek as her free hand moved up and began to run her fingernails softly against his bare chest. She began to trace the crevices in his abs, her fingers lingering in those areas a little longer than they typically did, and Tamaki rolled a little to allow her more access to his abdomen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you awake?” She quietly asked, and he let out a soft noise in confirmation. She laughed a bit, but continued to trace circles and lines across his body silently for a few more minutes, until his eyes finally fluttered open and he looked down at her. “Good morning, sunshine. Can you check what time it is?” She asked softly, releasing the hand on his cheek, and he turned to look quickly towards the alarm clock before settling back into his pillow and her touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little after nine,” he mumbled, then abruptly used the hand under her thigh to hoist her up higher, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes again, their faces now inches apart. “Did you sleep well?” He asked, and she nodded as she pressed her lips together a little tighter. He peeked an eye open. “Are you okay?” She smiled softly and nodded again, keeping her lips shut, glancing up at the ceiling. His face fell slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She regrets it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> was his first thought, though he tried to remain hopeful. He continued to watch her, so she finally turned her head away from him, letting out a small laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have an extra toothbrush? I just didn’t want to breathe all over you with, you know, morning breath,” she said, sending a glance over at him. Tamaki blinked, just watching her for a moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. Maybe she doesn’t regret it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He eased up almost instantly, and let out his own little laugh at his initial reaction to her hesitancy, adjusting so he could hold her from the back, turning her into the little spoon, and he dug his head into the side of hers, his chin resting on her shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind,” he whispered softly to her. “But I’m sure we have spares somewhere, I’ll give you one when we get up.” She nodded and settled back into him, pressing the back of her body back into his with a small little smile. Her torso stopped right before the edge of his pajama pants, and he was grateful for that. Though, he could still feel some of the lacey fabric rubbed against his bare skin, and he let out a soft breath at the realization of it. “Will you stay for breakfast?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I have enough food in my system from this weekend to last me the week, thanks,” she laughed, shaking her head. “I can’t even think about eating. You know Connor stopped twice for food on the drive back yesterday? Two separate times. The drive is like, less than two hours.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you call him Connor?” Tamaki questioned, and she glanced back at him. “I know he’s your dad, you don’t have to hide that fact anymore, you’re free to call him that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s complicated,” she laughed softly, but he wasn’t too satisfied with her answer. Slowly, he moved one of his hands up to push her hair back, a little frown on his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you resent him?” He asked softly, and Reina’s eyes flew open, turning to look at him. “For being absent?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not in the slightest,” she said quickly, though he could tell there was nothing except genuine in her tone. “None of that was his fault. There’s nothing wrong with smoking weed. It’s better than pills,” she said, her voice somewhat bitter in the last sentence. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But he got arrested for it, so there is </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> wrong with it,” he pointed out, and Reina bit the inside of her cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, if you look at it that way, yeah. But it’s the lesser of two evils. Weed doesn’t change you the way other drugs do. I could never be mad at him for that, he tried his best,” Reina said softly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not like I ever could be mad at him either, considering everything,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself. Tamaki studied her for another moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” he finally said with a little nod. “Then why don’t you call him dad?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “I haven’t really been able to call him dad before. My mom would have me call Eric ‘dad’ around the house for years, until I just stopped, and started to only call him dad in public situations. She never referred to Connor as my dad, just as his name. So it just felt weird to call two people by the name dad, and once I began to refer to Eric by his first name, Connor was just Connor in my mind. I try sometimes, but it’s like my mind hasn’t fully clicked the two together yet,” she shrugged a bit, turning her head a bit to look more at him, but he just nodded in understanding. “I think it makes him a little sad sometimes. So I just call him old man or something, or nothing at all, to not say either.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I get that,” he nodded, turning his head to place a small kiss on the skin of her neck that was right next to the side of his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Tamaki?” She asked softly, as his nose tenderly moved back and forth against her neck, giving her skin little eskimo kisses. “I know you’re not allowed to, but have you ever thought about trying to reach out to your mom, despite the rules?” He stilled for a moment, before planting another brisk kiss against her neck and relaxing back into her, his chin leaning on her shoulder once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All the time,” he confessed. “But I don’t know where she is anymore. She left her house, probably under the instruction of my grandmother, since I could easily go back if I knew the location of the house she was in.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that the only thing holding you back?” Reina asked softly, placing a hand on top of one of his that rested on her stomach, and he nodded. “So if you were to ever find her location, you’d go? Or call?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” he responded with another little nod. “I think Kyoya has already done a search, and he would have told me if he found her, but he never told me that he did,” he explained, and she nodded softly. “I would have no reason to not go see her, even if it was only for a few hours. I don’t think I could get away with much longer than that, but I would try to do anything, really. For now, I’m just waiting until I have that freedom again.” She nodded again softly, and his arms wrapped around her a little tighter. “I’d love for you to meet her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess it’s only fair, since you met my dad,” she teased, squeezing his hand softly. “Speaking of, did you catch what he said when mentioning me coming out to meet April? That I could bring a friend?” She smiled over at him. “Now I have to try and find a friend who would want to go with me,” she mused softly, pushing the back of her body closer into him. Tamaki’s face flared to a red color and he moved to place his forehead on her shoulder, closing his eyes softly as she inched closer and closer to him, he had felt the lace fabric slide down, now reaching the waist of his pants. It took him a few moments to process what she had said, his mind heading in far other directions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me a date and I’m coming with,” he said softly, shutting his eyes even tighter as she let out a little laugh, her body moving minimally as she did. “Should we get up?” He blurted out, though his mind screamed otherwise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” she yawned a bit, before moving one last time in a stretch, that familiar black lace rubbing against the fleece of his bottoms, and she immediately moved back from the rock she felt under the fabric, but played it off as just sitting up and stretching her arms out. “I should probably get home and get ready for school, let you eat your breakfast and get ready as well,” she said coolly, grabbing her phone off the bedside table as she stood up. She quickly sent out a text to her driver with Tamaki’s address, then glanced back at him. “I brought leggings, do you mind if I keep the shirt for the day? I’ll bring it back to you washed,” she smiled a bit, trying to conceal any nervousness she had. Tamaki was dealing with his own nerves, so didn’t seem to notice hers as he gave her a quick nod, sitting up in the bed and bundling the blankets on top of his lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can keep it,” he responded, flashing her a little paranoid smile. “Think of me when you wear it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I can do that,” she teased as she made her way over to her bag, grabbing the pair of leggings out of them and pulling them on quickly, then swung the bag over her shoulder. “See you in a few hours, Tamaki,” she winked before making her way to the door and slipping out quickly. As soon as the door shut, each of the pair let out a deep breath, for very separate reasons. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina made her way down the stairs and quickly snuck out of the Suoh home, not even putting her shoes on until she made it down the outdoor steps, waiting on her driver. She had been trying to avoid a run-in with anyone that she may need to converse with to be polite, and it seemed to have worked for her. As she took a seat on the steps to begin to pull her shoes on, her thoughts began to swirl. Everything from the last weekend, to last night, to their touching this morning. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I made a lot of promises this weekend that I can’t upkeep. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A lot of the realities of her situation began to hit her, and her breathing became a little harsher while staring down at her untied shoelaces. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They met Connor, they met my dad. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Tamaki</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> met my dad. I told them too much, I had to have. I was just… happy. It felt peaceful, talking to people who I could trust. But I’m not even sure I can really trust them.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She stared down at the shoelaces a little longer before quickly tying them and standing, then stared forward, waiting in preparation to bolt at the sight of her car coming in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, I think I can trust them. But I don’t know if I wanted to trust them. I can trust them to keep the secret, but I’m not sure I wanted to place it in their hands like that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She peeked back at the house briefly, then turned forward and hugged her arms to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Last night… This morning… It all feels so weird. I wasn’t supposed to do that, any of that. I shouldn’t have stayed, I should have just let Connor take me home. I don’t want to hurt him, and by sticking around, that’s what I’m doing. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The car finally pulled up, and just as she had planned, she ran off to it and jumped in, as if escaping. The driver seemed a little startled, but calmed down when she gave him a weak little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just going back home,” she said softly. “Can we go a long way? Or maybe run and grab coffee somewhere before heading there? If I get home too quickly, I’d probably feel obligated to start on some homework before going to school, and I don’t want to deal with any of that right now,” she lied, and he simply nodded with a smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t want to run into Sora. I don’t want to recount the weekend, at least not until dinner when I know I can’t avoid it. I’ve had a hard enough time tiptoeing over who I was going to be spending my weekend with, the rest of this will be much harder to explain. Especially before I’ve processed it all.  I especially don’t want to talk about last night just yet,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought with a sigh, looking out the window. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s.. a virgin. Tamaki Suoh is a virgin. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She quickly grimaced at her own thoughts. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s nothing wrong with being a virgin! But, I can’t take his virginity. He’s much too sweet for me to do that to him. I just can’t. He’s </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>way</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> too sweet. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina was interrupted by the driver clearing his throat, and she glanced up to see that he had parked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can be the one to run inside, but I need your order first,” he reminded, and she quickly shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay, I’d like to go in and look at the menu if that’s okay,” she smiled as she propped the door open and he nodded softly. “Thank you, I should only be about ten or so minutes.” She stepped out of the car and began her way inside the quaint little coffee shop. Looking around, she gave a soft smile as the intense smell of all things caffeine hit her face. After looking over the menu quickly, she requested an iced coffee with her normal fixings in it, which is what she knew she probably would get the whole time. Reina requested it in a to-go cup, but sat at a table while she waited for it to be made after the small queue of drinks they had to get to beforehand. Staring down at her hands, she fell back into thoughts. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell was that last night? I let him do that. I shouldn’t have. Though, I’m surprised that I stopped him. I didn’t want to, at all - but I’m glad that I did. But that conversation we had, after everything, when he asked what I would do if he fell in love with me. I hope that was a hypothetical. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She sighed out loud. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please, let that have been a hypothetical. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina hardly noticed when the coffee was placed in front of her, but she did come back to reality when she noticed footsteps walking away from her, so she whipped around in her chair quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! I’m sorry, thank you for bringing this to me,” she smiled softly. The male barista turned his head, and cracked a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay! You seemed distracted,” he said with a little wink her way, before turning back and heading back behind the bar. Absentmindedly, Reina pulled out a few bills as a tip and left them on the table before retrieving her coffee and rushing back out to her patient driver. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as his bedroom door closed, Tamaki fell back against the mattress and let out a deep breath that he had been subconsciously holding in. He stared up at the ceiling, eyes widened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t believe I did any of that last night. I wanted to do all of it, and I have for a long time, but I’m shocked that I went through with it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His face bloomed to a soft pink, even as he just reminisced on the prior events. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve wanted to lift her, and hold her like that probably since she turned me down the first time. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki had thanked Mr. Goto internally for placing Reina behind him many times, because he had known that those thoughts would have been much more intrusive had he been forced to stare at the back of her head everyday. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It only got worse every time we hung out. It was everything I ever imagined,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he admitted to himself, covering his eyes with one arm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t believe I’m admitting that I’m glad I walked in while she was changing - I know that makes me a pervert. Even though she was shocked, she still just looked so confident and beautiful. I want to see that all the time. I want to be the one that gets to hold her every morning like that. This morning just felt so natural. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He sighed out loud, moving his arm to peek over at the time on the clock, then sighed again, throwing his arm back over his vision. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I can get her to be with me. I’ll wait through college, if that’s what she needs me to do. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He laid there for a few more moments before finally climbing out of bed and searching for the shirt he had thrown to the side last night. In his search, he glanced over at himself in the mirror and stopped in his tracks, eyes widening down at the two large hickeys that Reina had left on his body, before his gaze softened and a small smile came onto his face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think she enjoyed it, too. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Once finding the shirt, he pulled it over his head quickly and ventured out of his room to find Shima approaching his room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Late night, Master Tamaki?” She asked, expression blank, but his face blushed up immediately and he turned away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a long weekend I needed to recoup from,” he chuckled nervously, then turned back to Shima. “Is my dad home?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He should be in his office, unless he snuck out as quickly as your friend did,” she noted, smirking softly as Tamaki’s blush grew even deeper. “Can I assume that you’re done lounging in bed for the day, and we can switch out the bedding?” Tamaki nodded softly, staring down at the ground as he started to walk past the elderly woman, but stopped at her words again. “Let your friend know that since your father has extended an open invitation to her, she doesn’t need to sneak out. Nobody will question her, though we may question you,” she mused softly, and once again, Tamaki nodded his head as his cheeks grew even brighter, and he pushed on with his walk towards his father’s office. He sent a little knock and waited for a response before entering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you busy?” He asked, and Yuzuru shook his head, so Tamaki entered. After closing the door behind him, he went and took a seat across from Yuzuru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And to what do I owe the pleasure?” Yuzuru mused, leaning back in his chair. Tamaki gave a little shrug, mimicking his father’s actions and relaxed into the chair behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just came to say hi, I suppose,” he pondered out loud, now wondering why exactly his feet brought him here. Yuzuru chuckled a tiny bit, eyeing his son. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bored after the girlfriend leaves, then, huh?” He suggested, and Tamaki shot up, eyes wide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not dating,” he confirmed quickly, and Yuzuru gave him a little look. “We’re not.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And is that both of your decisions?” He pressed on, and Tamaki glanced down at his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, mostly,” he said softly, quickly looking back up at Yuzuru. “How’d you realize you liked mom?” Tamaki asked. Yuzuru blinked a few times, staring at the young boy in front of him. They had never fully talked about the circumstances of the beginning of Yuzuru and Anne-Sophie’s relationship, though Tamaki was aware of the basics, such as it being an affair. He cleared his throat lightly then looked back down at the stack of papers in front of him. “Sorry, if you’re busy I can leave. I probably need to start getting ready, anyway.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I have a few minutes,” he responded, eyes still on the papers. “I always knew I loved your mother, in one way or another. It started out with fascination, I just wanted to know about her and of her. I don’t think there was a single thing she ever said that bored me. I shortly realized that I just wanted to be around her more often. I had started flying out to France at least twice a month to see her, and that wasn’t nearly enough for me, even then. I just knew, I suppose. I don’t think I have the right answer for you, son,” he concluded finally, looking at Tamaki who was watching him intently. “Does that sound familiar?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could say that,” he mumbled quietly, watching his father’s expression go soft, and Yuzuru slowly nodded. He thought back to the conversation he and Connor had about Reina, and flipped through all the components in his mind before continuing on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give her time,” he finally concluded. “If you’re seriously interested, just give her time while making sure she knows you’re there. Don’t get discouraged, you’ve only known her for a month or so.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A month and half,” Tamaki quickly interrupted, and Yuzuru chuckled very quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, then that long. Girls need longer, sometimes, and she doesn’t know her future yet. Give her the time to figure everything out,” Yuzuru finished, but Tamaki pursed his lips together at the comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but what’s it matter if she moves next year? I’ll wait,” he defended, and Yuzuru nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and I know that, make her realize it,” he said simply, and slowly Tamaki nodded. He finally stood, giving Yuzuru a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, dad,” he said softly before giving him a single nod, and exiting. Yuzuru sighed softly and turned back to the small slip of paper on his desk, with Connor’s contact information. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should probably update him at some point, once I’ve heard enough. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The couple separately made it back to their next class that followed after lunch, receiving a few looks and whispers from the classmates around them. Many of the students had put the pieces together that the two were both missing from their morning classes, but they all were weary of the volume of their voices, so as to not embarrass the two. Tamaki had arrived first, and wasn’t even entirely sure if Reina was even going to show up for the remainder of the classes. When she finally did show up, he told her so, and she let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was tempted to stay home for the rest of the day, but I figured your dad might not be too happy with me if I did. Given the conversation last night and all,” she pointed out, and Tamaki nodded softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad he mentioned it. That just means I get to spend study halls with you again,” he reminded her, eyes twinkling. She rolled her eyes softly, but smiled, before looking up at the board and her face fell slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Physical exam tomorrow?” She asked, and Tamaki glanced up at it before chuckling softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ouran does a physical exam every year for its students. It’s pretty standard, you don’t have much to worry about,” he said, but she didn’t seem to relax at all. “I’m sure you’re in good shape, Reina, what’s the problem?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll</span>
  </em>
  <span> be fine,” she said softly, then glanced over to him with an eyebrow raised. “But don’t the guys normally go shirtless while getting their exam?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not shy about my body,” he pointed out, face written with confused. She kept her eyebrow raised, just staring at him, as if waiting for him to get what she was referencing. He didn’t. She leaned forward and tapped each one of his collarbones with the eraser of the pencil she had just retrieved from her bag, and blinked a few times. Finally, a soft blush appeared and he glanced down at his shirt. “Right.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re close enough to having a similar skin tone. I can bring you some concealer tomorrow,” she whispered to him, beginning to notice the glances from their classmates. “Or we can go to a store tonight and I’ll help you pick out the exact shade.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll pick you up after the host club,” he answered quickly, sending her a little wink before turning back to the front of the class. Reina glanced around at the class, and as she looked at the other members of the class, they swiftly looked away - all except Emica, who was giving Reina a large, excited smile. She covered her eyes and sat back in her seat, letting out a small little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After texting Sora that she wouldn’t be home for dinner, Sora had requested they have tea and coffee to debrief about the weekend, which Reina reluctantly agreed to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, I just wanted to hear about your weekend so badly,” Sora said as soon as the drinks were brought out. Reina gave her a little smile. “So tell me all about it! Give me all the details that you’re able. I know birthdays can be crazy, and some secrets need to be kept and I’ll respect that,” she mused, eyes twinkling. Reina couldn’t help but laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> crazy, in some odd ways,” Reina thought out loud, making one of Sora’s eyebrows perk up. “It was just supposed to be me and my friend, but Tamaki and his friends showed up to surprise me for my birthday.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what did you think about that?” Sora asked, and Reina gave a soft smile as she gazed into her coffee cup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was so sweet,” she admitted, casting aside the awkwardness of having to introduce the whole group to her dad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know I was worried about that, but it really was one of the sweetest things to ever happen to me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“They decorated my hotel room and brought me a cake. Then, we all went to the aquarium and met for dinner together later. Tamaki joined us on some shopping and got me a few things to help decorate my room with.” Sora grinned a bit after taking a drink of her tea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So are you two dating yet?” She practically sang. Reina scrunched her nose up as she thought about the night before. “I noticed that you told me you would be back on Sunday, but then texted me that you would be out another night. Is there a correlation there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is,” she started quietly, ignoring Sora’s little giggles of satisfaction over figuring it out. “We’re not dating. But, some weird things were said,” Reina admitted, glancing back down at the cup in between her hands. “I don’t know. We exchanged a lot this weekend. I feel like we both learned a lot about each other. I’ll admit, we had a little bit to drink last night,” she said, glancing up at Sora who just gave a little shrug. “Things got, I mean, you know…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand,” Sora completed for her, to Reina’s relief so she gave a quick nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, yeah,” Reina said softly, then looked back up at her. “Not completely, not even really close to completely, just, you know. Stuff,” she added, getting yet another suppressed giggle from Sora as she watched the nervous girl blabber on. “But afterwards, we got on the topic of dating and I said I felt it wasn’t fair of me to expect anyone to only date me so that wasn’t what I was looking for. He told me love isn’t always fair,” Reina explained, and Sora’s eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love, huh?” She almost gasped, and Reina threw one of her hands up in agreement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I said! But he asked me if he were to fall in love with me, if I would date him,” Reina said, which seemed to calm Sora down a little. Finally, Sora gave a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what was your response to that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said yes,” Reina said cautiously as she furrowed her eyebrows. “But I’m not sure if I should keep that promise.” Sora watched Reina as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, studying her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you should,” Sora finally said quietly.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Condom Aisle in the Commoner's Supermarket (30)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki had texted her a little later than his club normally ended, so Reina was already long ready by the time he got there. She walked up to the car, and as per usual, he jumped out to hold the door open for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do that everytime,” she said softly as she climbed in, and he shortly followed her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I definitely do, though,” he smiled. She glanced around, noticing that the car wasn’t moving, and looked up at Tamaki. “He’s been instructed not to start driving until we’re both safely wearing our seatbelts,” he informed smugly as he pulled his own across his chest. Reina rolled her eyes softly, but moved from the middle seat to the other window seat and did as she was told, and like Tamaki had said, the car magically started to move. “Where do we need to go to get a concealer?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Any regular store should have it,” she said, and received a glance from Tamaki. “Like, a supermarket? It’ll save us a trip to the mall, that’s never a very fun experience.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like a commoner’s market?” He questioned. She scrunched up her nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like a normal store? Yes,” she nodded, and he beamed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never been! That’s perfect,” he grinned, sitting back in his seat. She raised an eyebrow at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve never been to a grocery store?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never needed to,” he shrugged a little, but his smile remained on his face. “But I’ve always wanted to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully it’s not too underwhelming for you, then,” she laughed. The driver took the short drive before arriving at the closest store. “We’ll go look at the cosmetics first, then browse. Sounds good?” She asked, and Tamaki nodded enthusiastically as he climbed out of the car, holding his hand out to Reina. “Thank you,” she called out to the driver before taking Tamaki’s hand and climbing out, smiling up at him. “And thank you,” she said softer, keeping a hold on his hand as they walked in through the automatic doors. Tamaki’s eyes grew wide as he glanced around the ordinary store in awe. Reina watched him with a smile before tugging him forward, moving out of the way for the next shoppers waiting to come in. “Come on,” she laughed, tugging him over towards the aisles that didn’t have food in them, searching for the makeup department, but walked slowly to allow him to continue looking around at everything. She finally found the tiny section and walked with him over to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised they have all this stuff here,” he noted, browsing through all the nail polish. “Aren’t there separate stores for makeup?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they only put a select amount of brands in stores like this,” she nodded, picking up containers of concealer and holding them against Tamaki’s hand to try and get an accurate color match. “Come here,” she said, and he quickly complied, stepping over to her. She grabbed one of the vials and pulled his shirt down a tiny bit to see the color of his chest against it. “Your hands and face get more sun than your chest, so they’re slightly different colors,” she explained as she put back the one in her hand and grabbed the color right under it, checking the match really quick before nodding and smiling up at him. “Got it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we can go look around now?” He asked, eyes gleaming, and she laughed a bit with a nod. He grabbed onto her free hand and began to lead her around, heading back towards where they started. “Should we get one of those?” He asked, pointing over to the row of shopping carts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably. Even if we don’t get a lot, it’s sort of part of the experience,” she teased, and he bounded over to grab one. He pushed it back over in her direction and they began their venture. They began in the small little bakery section, and each time Tamaki found something he found particularly interesting or that looked good, he would throw it in the cart. They went up and down the aisles, until making it to the freezer section, with a cart that was already looking a little crowded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They sell pizzas here? Like full pizzas?” Tamaki gaped, looking into the oversized freezers, then turned to Reina. “Do you have dinner plans?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not really. Sora already knew I would probably be out until late. You want to try frozen pizza tonight?” She asked, and he nodded with a grin. “I’ll join you,” she laughed softly. He threw two in the cart quickly, then continued to walk down the aisle. She spotted something out of the corner of her eyes and subtly moved over, grabbing them out of the freezer and holding them up to Tamaki. “Mozzarella sticks go good with pizza,” she said sheepishly before tossing them in the cart, getting a huge grin back from Tamaki. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s joining in on my fun! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to himself, unable to push the cheerfulness off of his face. He pushed the cart until he was next to her side again, then began to walk with her. They finally had made their way through the food aisles and started to walk through the limited aisles of other necessities. Tamaki would stop every once in a while to point something out, or to smell something interesting like a brand of deodorant or shampoo he had never heard of before. Reina even tossed two toothbrushes into the cart as they made their way through the dental hygiene aisle, but neither needed explanation for why. Once they got to one particular section, his eyes widened and he turned away, blushing. “What’s up?” She asked, turning to look in the direction that he had just turned from. “Condoms?” She asked, raising a little eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They just have those out? For everyone to see?” He asked, glancing down at her and she shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure most people would be too afraid to go and ask someone to pull them from the back,” she pointed out, and he shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, that would be way better. Kids can see them there!” He retorted, and she rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kids should be educated on safe sex, anyway. If they’re old enough to know about sex and what condoms are used for and what they look like, then they’re old enough to see them,” she pointed out, then turned to him. “Don’t you think it would be embarrassing to ask?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s only natural,” he mumbled, glancing back at them, and she smirked softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Prove it,” she sang softly, and he turned to her. “Go ask an employee where you can find the condoms at.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But they’re right there, I don’t need any help,” he tried to rationalize, his eyebrows furrowing as he realized it may not be the most ideal to ask a stranger where to find sex items. She shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, if you don’t think it’s embarrassing, then go find someone and ask to prove it,” she said, giving him a little push and a wink. He scoffed slightly as he looked around. “I’ll be nearby, to see if you actually ask,” she grinned at him before darting away. Tamaki sighed softly before pushing the cart in search of an employee. Once he found someone wearing a red vest with the store logo on it, he took a deep breath as he approached the woman, who looked like she was probably nearing 30. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” He asked, and the employee turned around, eyes immediately widening at the handsome boy in front of her. “I need a little help finding a particular item,” he started, instinctively scratching the back of his neck as embarrassment washed over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” The woman gushed, turning her body to face him fully, giving a shy little smile. “What can I help you find?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, I’m looking for,” Tamaki began, but couldn’t find the word immediately. His eyes darted around to see if anyone was in the area before lowering his voice drastically. “Condoms,” he finally concluded. The woman blinked twice before giving him another sheepish smile, her cheeks tinting pink. A request that typically wasn’t so scandalous for the employee felt increasingly so, as she was assisting such a handsome man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, follow me,” she said quietly, leading him back over to the section that he had just left. He turned to thank her, but the woman pressed the conversation on just to continue talking to the cute younger boy. “We have all the different brands, and obviously different sizes. We have some flavored - oh, and some are ribbed, and some are smooth, depending on what you prefer. Coming from a woman’s perspective, these are probably best!” She rambled as she grabbed a box that had ‘Ultra thin’ stretched across them, holding them out to Tamaki. He gave a sheepish little laugh and tossed the box into the cart quickly, giving a quick nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for your help, I’m all done now, so thank you!” Tamaki said quickly to get her out of view. The woman gave him another little smile before walking back to her original position in the store. As soon as she was out of view, Tamaki let his forehead hit against the handle of the cart, closing his eyes tightly. He heard the sound of a soft giggle come closer to him, then felt a hand come up, rubbing his back softly. “You were right,” he mumbled softly, lifting his head up just a bit to look at Reina, who was covering her mouth to prevent from laughing any louder than she already had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know it would be that bad for you,” she said, another little laugh coming out. “I’m sorry,” she said, moving her hand out from in front of her mouth, giving him a little grin. When he didn’t return it immediately, she pushed her lip out in a little pout to look extra apologetic. He glanced down at the condoms in the cart, and finally grinned, turning back to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine, but we’re getting them. And you have to be there when the cashier rings them in,” he said with a smug little smile, and she simply shrugged a bit, taking hold of the cart and beginning to walk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” she called back to him, and he quickly started to walk to catch up with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said that too, and even I got nervous,” he pointed out, trying to get the same embarrassed reaction out of her, but she just shrugged a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Out of all the items, do you think they’ll question the condoms?” She asked, motioning to the fairly full cart. “Plus if I have to be there at checkout, then I get to pay,” she smirked up at him. He let out a frustrated huff and shook his head, taking grip of the cart from her, and beginning to push it himself. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll make a comment about them to the cashier.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what? It would, actually,” he admitted as he glanced over at her, then chuckled a little. She gave a determined nod as they approached the checkout lane. Reina began to pile the items onto the conveyor belt. Reina waited patiently as the cashier got through the items, subtly pulling her wallet out of her side bag as they waited. Finally, when the cashier got to the condoms, he picked them up in preparation to scan them, not really paying any attention to what it was. Reina peered over at the box and turned back to Tamaki with a little bit of a shocked expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby, I thought I asked you to get the bigger pack,” she said, glancing from the box in the cashier’s hand to Tamaki, who had turned a soft pink, and she quickly shrugged. “That’s okay, we can reuse them once or twice,” she grinned to Tamaki, then turned back to the cashier. His eyes went a little wide as he stared down at the box, before slowly scanning them and tossing them in the bag. He had just gone through a moral dilemma, trying to debate whether or not he wanted to warn the couple to definitely not do that, but he ultimately decided to not say a word and quickly worked through the other items. The moment he finished, the couple both clearly had the same idea as both of their cards headed straight to the card reader. Tamaki easily won, with a little smirk down at Reina as she gave him a disapproving look. She moved to his side and started to pack the bags into their cart, and once the cashier handed Tamaki his receipt and thanked him, Tamaki scooped up the rest of the bags for her and set them inside the cart. As they began to walk, he looked down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s definitely not what I expected you to say,” he said softly, and she grinned up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But his expression was great, right?” She laughed, and he let out a few chuckles before nodding. They made it out to the car and began to pack the trunk with the items they bought. He glanced over at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you like that?” She asked as she placed the last bag in the trunk, winking up at him. His eyes widened a bit for a moment, but then he closed the trunk and leaned up against it briefly, beaming down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I do, actually,” he teased, reaching over to the cart and began to push it towards the little parking spot dedicated to them. Reina laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll keep that in mind, baby!” She called out, watching as he pushed the cart back in and before he had the chance to walk back, she turned to the car door and quickly opened it. When he returned, he grimaced a bit, but grimaced even more when she motioned for him to climb into the car first while she grinned the whole time. “After you, baby.” He tried to think of something to respond with, but simply sighed and climbed into the car, quickly followed by Reina. “I don’t need to stop and grab my uniform, right? We’re just doing dinner?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not unless you want to,” he responded softly, glancing over at her after they both buckled. “I would appreciate my little teddy bear again tonight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did notice that teddy bear on your chair in your room,” she teased, smirking very softly as his face paled, but she turned to the driver. “Can we stop back at my house, really quick?” The driver nodded and began the drive. She glanced over at Tamaki, who still seemed a little flustered by her comment. “I thought it was cute. Baby,” she added quickly to the end, getting another small laugh out of him, even in his pale state. She turned to look out the window and quickly bit down on her lip. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did I invite myself over to stay the night? Wasn’t I just thinking this morning that I needed to not do that anymore? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought to herself, holding in a sigh that she was trying so hard not to release. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This kid is definitely making me act unlike myself, that’s for sure. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she had suggested, Reina had grabbed her uniform and backpack, along with the shirt Tamaki had given her the night prior. With still no sign of Sora around, she had sent her a quick text to let her know she would be out for the night. Their night was anticlimactic, but more than enough fun as Tamaki tested out all of the commoner snacks that they had picked up. It ended the same as it did before, the two changing into clothes and quickly jumping into bed. Though, one thing Reina had noticed was that Tamaki hadn’t tried kissing her again the entire night, chalking their Sunday night events up to him being more intoxicated than he had originally thought, and it gave her some relief about the whole situation. In the morning, as opposed to lingering around in bed like she had always done before, she snuck out of his arms to embark on a quick shower before he woke up. When she came back into his room, fully dressed in her uniform, he was just barely sitting up in bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you left,” he admitted, eyes glued to her, and she shook her head softly. From the distance she was at, she wasn’t able to see him visibly relax at the sight of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but I hope you don’t mind that I used your shower,” she said as she ran over to the overnight bag she had packed and pulled out her makeup, as well as picking up the little container of concealer that they had bought the night prior. “I’m lucky your shampoo smells good,” she laughed a little, heading over to the floor length mirror that Tamaki had in his room and took a seat in front of it. “I’m gonna do my makeup then I’ll work on your chest before I leave,” she said, sending a little grin over to him before starting to pull out different beauty products. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before you leave?” He asked, and she nodded a little as she began applying her own concealer. “We’re going to the same place, why don’t we go together? Doesn’t that just make more sense?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have breakfast in the morning with your dad?” She asked, and he nodded, which she caught out of the corner of her eyesight. “Food in the morning makes me sick for the whole day, so I’ll probably just go grab some coffee before school,” she somewhat lied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind coffee,” he said softly, trying to imply that they go together, and she sent him a little grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll pick you up some! Just let me know what you want,” she beamed before continuing. Tamaki blinked a few times, but decided not to argue any further and just nodded a little. “Do you need to shower before I put the makeup on? It’s a cheaper brand, it probably won’t last through a little water.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should be okay, I showered before picking you up yesterday,” he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and wandering over to her, taking a seat on the ground next to her as he watched her move from product to product. “I don’t feel like you normally wear this much makeup,” he noted, looking around at all of the different pieces sprawled in front of the girl who was fixated on her reflection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems like a lot more than it is. I’ll have to use two or three different products for your little dots,” she mused, watching as he began to search through the pile, trying to read the labels on them, but the majority of them were in English. She picked up her blush and began to apply it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you adding pink to your cheeks? I never understood that. Blushing is something for when you’re embarrassed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I’m cute when I blush?” She asked, turning to him and batting her eyelashes. He paled and quickly looked back at the scattered products on the floor. “That’s why I wear blush, because it’s cute. Besides, it hides my freckles more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I also like your freckles,” he mumbled softly, still looking away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes one of us,” she laughed, finishing up on the other side of her face and picking up her eyeliner, quickly dragging the lines across, then moving to her mascara almost instantaneously. “I’m almost done, then I’ll be quick with you,” she said through her concentration, biting down on her lip as soon as the sentence left her mouth to steady her face more than it already was. Tamaki finally turned his attention back to her, watching her reflection as she blinked against the mascara wand, his face pale softening at the sight of it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So candidly perfect. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She blinked a few times, checking again to make sure she got all of her eyelashes coated before packing up the rest of her makeup, aside from the few items she needed for Tamaki, then turned to him. He had opted out of a shirt once again, so she turned her body to face his and got to work, starting with the primer. “I’m hoping it won’t rub off onto your shirt too badly. I’ll be sure to add enough so that if some does get on your shirt, it won’t rub the whole thing away.” He nodded a bit, lifting his chin up to give her more than enough room to work on. He closed his eyes softly, feeling her hands on him, and just enjoying the moment. After a few minutes, but what felt like only a few seconds to him, she clapped her hands together. “That’s the best we’re gonna get!” She nodded, turning to look at the both of them in the mirror. Tamaki opened his eyes and glanced over, any reminiscents of hickeys completely disappearing in his reflection. Reina quickly packed up her belongings, though she left Tamaki’s shirt near his bed, knowing she would most likely be back and would want to wear it again, then stood. “You can’t tell from far away, but up close you can kinda see. So your nurse might notice, but luckily nobody else will, and I doubt your nurse is going to try and wipe it off or anything,” she said with a smile, bringing her makeup bag back to her overnight bag and stuffing it in, zipping the bag up and swinging it over her shoulder, then glanced around to try and find her school bag. “Just text me what you want from the coffee shop!” She smiled, turning back towards where Tamaki had just been, but he had vanished from the spot. She looked up and saw him holding her backpack on his shoulder, giving her a little wink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me walk you out,” he insisted. She shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to, you still need to get ready,” she reminded, but he grabbed the overnight bag from her shoulder and held it in one of his hands, using the other hand to grab hers and led her out of the room. She softly rolled her eyes, but obliged and walked with him towards the staircase. They made their ways down, noticing Shima who was waiting by the door, as if in preparation for Reina’s departure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Miss Thompson, you won’t be joining Master Tamaki for breakfast today, I assume?” She asked, glancing at the bags in the shirtless boy’s hands. Reina gave a sheepish little smile, nodding softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not today, Shima, thank you though,” she responded, to which Shima simply gave the two a nod and headed out of their way. Reina turned to Tamaki, letting go of his hand and taking the bags from arms. “Don’t forget to text me your order,” she grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last offer for breakfast and for me to go with you to the coffee shop,” he tried, but she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before shaking her head, and with a swift movement, slipped out the front door to the Higurashi family car that was already waiting for her. The driver took her request easily and began to head to the same coffee shop he had taken her to the day prior. She jumped out of the car, leaving everything but her wallet inside, prepared to go in and order both of the drinks she needed. She stepped inside the familiar building, and found that with her luck, there was no line. The barista at the counter did a little double take, then smiled. Reina gave him a smile and a hello before reciting both her and Tamaki’s orders, but when she reached into her wallet, the barista’s words stopped her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s free,” he said simply, picking up a sharpie and the cups. “Can I get a name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The iced one is for Reina,” she said softly, hoping he didn’t write the name on both cups. “Free coffee in a coffee shop? Not the best way to run a business. Though I appreciate it,” she teased, giving the man a little smile. He looked like he could possibly be a college student, though as she studied him a little further, she thought maybe older. He was tall and scraggly, but he had a sweet smile. His dark brown hair extended onto his face with a little bit of a beard, though it looked more like he had just forgotten to shave for the past few days as opposed to wearing it in a fashionable way, though Reina found herself admiring the look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess it’s not totally free,” he admitted, sending the two cups down the row to allow his coworkers to start working on them. “You paid for it yesterday,” he reminded her, nodding over to the table Reina had sat at just one day prior. She turned back at it and blinked softly, before letting out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was supposed to be a tip for you, for my rudeness,” she explained, shaking her head. “Sorry. I’m not used to skipping the tip.” She turned back to look at him, only realizing that he had been the one to bring her drink out when she was zoned out in thought. “Well, thank you either way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anytime, Reina. See you soon,” he said with a little wink. Reina glanced down at the name badge before the barista turned off to start restocking the bar. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dai.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She nodded a little bit before walking off towards the handoff plane, where the two drinks were already waiting for her. She scooped them up easily and headed back out to the car, climbing in, and making the decision to just head straight to Ouran, despite it being a little early. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There had been some whispers amongst the class when Reina came in with an extra coffee, and all of their assumptions seemed to come true when she set the spare cup on Tamaki’s desk. Though, Tamaki didn’t seem to notice the stares at all when he came in, stuck in a tunnel vision to walk over and thank Reina. She simply gave him a little nod and let her head drop back into the piles of homework she had neglected over the last weekend, but also simultaneously trying to avoid any more looks in her direction. The day crept by slowly, even slower as Tamaki asked her to join him in their study period, and every pair of eyes in the class watched them leave, unbeknownst to the oblivious blonde. She finally felt a moment of relief as Mr. Goto announced the class’s time to head towards the physical exam and Tamaki bid her goodbye to head off with Kyoya to start their plans on saving Haruhi. Though, that relief was short lived as Emica made her way to Reina and began her plethora of questions, so Reina began to try and dodge them as much as she could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki’s scheme of pretending to be Haruhi, in his mind, had gone as smoothly as it could. Though, his ego was knocked down a few pegs as the twins began their loud laughter from behind the curtain, and he finally caught wind of all the confused faces in front of him. He looked almost dumbstruck at the fact that his plan hadn’t worked, and he abruptly ripped open the curtain, rushing back in to take his frustration out on the cackling twins. Kyoya, in spite of the chaos surrounding him, quickly explained that he had it handled the entire time, and brought over a nurse to escort Haruhi to her private room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still can’t believe you did that,” Kaoru howled, wiping a tear from his eye as he and Hikaru slowly started to regain themselves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re both stupid, it could have worked,” Tamaki growled, picking up his shirt. “We all need to go get our exams still. Come on,” he said, and tried to turn. Kaoru noticed it first and grabbed Tamaki’s arm, stopping him from moving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s on your shirt, boss?” He asked, pointing down at the two little flesh colored dots lingering on the inside of the shirt, easily seen since the fabric had flipped inside out when he took it off. Tamaki glanced down at it and his eyes widened, quickly throwing the shirt back on right side out, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Must’ve been a laundry issue,” he said quickly with a nervous laugh, fumbling slightly to button up his shirt, his annoyance with them vanishing from his mind as a strange sense of embarrassment washed over him, not sure what to say on the spot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t have the time to explain this right now, I have to get this exam over with so I can put my shirt back on.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The twins cast a little glance at each other, but gave a little nod as they followed him, Hikaru deciding to just follow Kaoru’s lead in the next moves. As Tamaki made his way towards the designated area for himself, the twins stuck by. Kaoru snuck off briefly to grab a complimentary water bottle, and handed a Hikaru one of the two washcloths he had in his hand. The girls began to crowd around, waiting to see Tamaki in his prime. As the nurse instructed, Tamaki cast a sparkly-eyed glance out to the group of girls, completely overlooking the two redheaded mischievous twins in the front of the crowd, and he began to pull his shirt off for the second time today. The twins waited until after the crowd of girls let out their squeals, Tamaki to put on his own show, and for the nurse to finish her required measurements before Kaoru took action. In a fake trip, he threw his arm forward, sending the water in his bottle flying out and onto Tamaki’s chest. The girls all gasped at the new sight of the dripping wet and shocked Tamaki, but slowly the squeals began to rise again, and he turned the situation to his advantage, posing slightly to get even more attention - and of course, it worked. Kaoru nudged his twin and they each stepped up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry, boss. I’m so clumsy,” he said softly, looking down at the ground just as a new crowd of Hitachiin fans beginning to join the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh Kaoru, it wasn’t your fault,” Hikaru whispered to his twin, placing a finger under his brother’s chin and lifting his head back up, which sent the whole crowd of girls into a wild state. “But we have to fix this for Tamaki,” he reminded, lifting up the rags that Kaoru had picked up, and turned to Tamaki. The two twins, who were now faced away from the crowd, regained their devious grins, and quickly began to wipe the water off of Tamaki. The tall blonde was confused, but allowed it, expecting it to just be a simple publicity stunt for the host club. Slowly, the crowd of girls began to whisper, and once again, a few more squeaks came out from their mouths. The twins stepped back, giving a quick nod to Tamaki. “We fixed it! Goodbye!” Hikaru said quickly, and they were off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew it, I told you his story was way too vague for how happy he seemed,” Kaoru whispered to his twin as the two headed off and out of sight to find the rest of the host club to let them in on what they had just seen. Tamaki gave a little smile to the girls, and shut the curtain again to continue his actual exam, as was the original plan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m right to assume that those aren’t birthmarks? Don’t worry, I won’t write it down in the notes or anything,” the nurse reassured. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and the nurse motioned with her pen down at the little spots on his collarbones. He glanced down, noticing that every last bit of the concealer had been wiped away by the two devils. The moment his exam ended, he ran off to find them and tell them off, but as he found them, the search for Haruhi began, in attempts to save her from the wandering creep doctor Kyoya had run into. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina was wrapping up her exam when Emica rushed over to her. She had spent the entire walk over here explaining to Emica that she just simply picked up some coffee for Tamaki to be kind, knowing he also enjoyed the coffee shop she frequented, and that they spent study halls together because Tamaki was struggling in English. Both statements, while technically true, were obviously not entirely truthful either. Reina had deliberately withheld a lot of information by leaving out all of the important details, and especially kept quiet about every story from the last few days. The second year had finally believed Reina, so when she approached the redheaded girl, she looked distraught. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, I have to tell you something,” she said slowly, biting down on her lip. Reina turned to her, and after rapidly thanking the nurse, she dismissed herself to join the worried girl. “I have a suspicion that you may like Tamaki, so I’m sorry to tell you this… He has hickeys, Reina!” She finally called out. Reina blinked a few times. “I didn’t even know Tamaki would allow a girl to leave disgusting little marks on him. Trust me, you can do better, I should bring you to meet a new host! Maybe you would like Kyoya? No, he’s in class with us, that would be weird after liking Tamaki. Oh, one of the twins would be perfect for you!” She thought up quickly, trying to console Reina, though Reina just stood with a deer in headlights expression. “Oh girl, I know it’s shocking -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Emica, it’s not that,” she interrupted quickly, holding her hands up in defense. “I’m not upset. Tamaki is allowed to do what he wants.” Emica eyed her before grabbing Reina’s arm and tugging her aside, away from the moving crowd, and raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re being awfully calm for a girl who spends every free hour and lunch with the guy,” she pointed out, blinking a few times, then sighing. “You gave him the hickeys, didn’t you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The disgusting little marks, you mean?” Reina repeated teasingly, but Emica’s expression didn’t change. “Okay, listen. Yes,” she said softly, watching as her friend’s expression changed from that of an interrogator to an excited one. “But! My comment still stands. He can do what he wants, we’re not dating.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just lied to me on the walk over here,” Emica pointed out, but a devilish little grin grew. “I don’t care as long as you tell me everything!” Reina let out a little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you some stuff, but you can’t go around telling people,” she warned. “I was over at his house this morning putting makeup on those hickeys so that this didn’t happen today. I even had my own driver come pick me up from his house so nobody saw us getting out of the same car this morning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, bringing him coffee this morning didn’t help you out with that, and neither was both of you ditching all the same classes yesterday,” Emica retorted, then she furrowed her eyebrows together. “Wait, why wouldn’t you want to be seen with Tamaki? He’s Tamaki Suoh.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I don’t need the attention. Besides, I don’t want to ruin his little reputation that he’s got going on with the club,” Reina explained, then sucked the side of her cheek for a second. “He offered to ride with me to get coffee and then come to school at the same time, but I denied him and just told him I would pick up a cup for him, as to not run into the whole ‘arriving in the same car’ situation. Listen, I’ll tell you some stuff Emica, but let’s plan for sometime this week, okay? Lunch maybe?” Emica let out a little groan, but nodded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to get this story together, figure out what I can and cannot say. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Too Many Thoughts (31)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Hey everyone! I’d love to take a minute to thank those who are still reading :) This is definitely a hobby of mine and I’m writing whether one person reads or 200 read it, so if you’re that one person right now, then thank you for keeping me going! I’d love to hear your feedback! I found this chapter to be super fun since it touched so many different relationships in this one little chapter! What does everyone think of Hiroto? I’m trying to find a nice balance between Reina’s moments with OCs, Reina/Tamaki moments, and glimpses into the host club that feel authentic! I’d love to hear what you think! Thank you again!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty One</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you hear what happened with Suoh today at the exams?” Hiroto asked. After the exams had concluded, everyone still had their last class, and Hiroto had invited Reina to go on a short little ice cream date during their theatre class that normally would have just been spent separately in their own houses. She glanced up at him, realizing she had zoned out a bit just staring at the table. “He got caught with some hickeys,” he added, watching her as she kept silent. Reina scooped up another bite of ice cream with her spoon before giving a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, you’ve never gotten a hickey or something, Kiyama?” She finally teased after pushing away her nerves, a little smirk on her lips. He scoffed, an eye roll commencing but he grinned a little back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I have. When I’ve been with one girl, yeah, not when I’m talking to the whole school. I wonder who gave them to him,” he thought out loud and Reina licked her spoon, sitting back in her seat. “Any clues on who?” He probed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I bet you are wondering who. Maybe you’d go to her and ask to get some for yourself. If </span>
  <em>
    <span>the Tamaki Suoh</span>
  </em>
  <span> has hickeys on him, maybe it’ll be the new trend of the school,” Reina mused, pulling the spoon away from her mouth and giving him another little smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s actually a great idea, thanks Rei. So are you offering to give me hickeys?” He asked, laughing as her face fell. “So it was you, huh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’d you know that?” She asked, her voice low as she leaned in, as if worried that the adult strangers around them would hear. “I just told one of my friends. Did it seriously fly around the school that fast?” She asked, her voice almost cracking, worry throughout her voice. Hiroto finally ceased his laughter, his eyebrows furrowing together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, chill out, no,” he said, watching as her face looked more and more upset. “I’m sorry. It was just a guess, I didn’t hear anything,” he elaborated. Reina gave a tiny little nod, sitting back in her seat, but her expression didn’t change too much. “It really was just a guess. You seemed kind of out of it, like you were thinking about something. You’ve still been spending time with him during the school day, study halls or whatever. Plus you told me that you thought he liked someone else, so when I asked if you had any ideas on who it was, you didn’t mention that. In fact, you didn’t even give me an answer. Dead giveaway, kid, good try though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And how did you know I wasn’t just like, tired or sad or something?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you’re mean when you’re tired, and it was just a different feeling than sad, I guess. Almost sort of cold, but not angry, if that makes sense,” he said, laughing as her nose scrunched up at the mention of her being mean. “So it looks like you cast aside my words of warning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t cast them aside, I’m just listening to my own opinion and putting it into perspective with my situation, while keeping your warning in mind,” Reina assured, giving him a little smile. “I didn’t ignore you, I promise. I put a lot of thought into it. And I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But like I already told you, I don’t need exclusivity, and if he flirts around, then that’s fine. I’m on a date with you right now, aren’t I?” She asked, giving him a goofy, toothy grin, though internally she felt awful. </span>
  <em>
    <span>All of this feels wrong, and it’s never felt wrong before. I’ve never felt so bad being on a date. Why do I feel so guilty for doing what I said I was going to do? I’ve made everyone aware, as I always do. Why does this feel so - heart wrenching? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hiroto gave a tiny chuckle through her thoughts, though he was also having conflicting feelings. Despite the warning Reina had given about how she would be doing what she wanted, and how he was free to do so as well, he still felt a tiny sting of pain at the idea that she actually was going through with what she had made very clear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, fine, fair,” he agreed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I’m just not fit for this sort of relationship, an open one, what she wants,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hiroto thought to himself somewhat sadly. “So then why are you so out of it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” she admitted with a sigh. “Including you, two people have figured out that I was the one that put the hickeys on him and it’s been, like, what?” She asked, checking the time briefly before looking back up at him. “An hour? Less than two, for sure. I just don’t like that. Not in the type situation I’m in. I like my dating life tucked away, for not many to see. I like to remain mysterious,” she teased, taking another bite of her rapidly melting ice cream and biting down onto the spoon as she thought about it further. “Plus he has his club to upkeep, and do you think he’s still going to get guests if they think he’s taken?” She asked, and he furrowed his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you care about his club?” He asked genuinely, and she gave a shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems to make him happy. I don’t want to accidentally ruin anyone’s happiness with something stupid,” she answered genuinely, but Hiroto’s eyebrows stayed furrowed together. “For every girl that has a bad experience at the club, there seems to be twenty or thirty or fifty that have a good one, so remember - unbiased,” she reminded him, and he gave a little huff but nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, maybe they’ll just think it’ll give them more of a chance to be with him,” he pointed out, and she gave a little laugh, glancing up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I shouldn’t be gossiping to a guy who already doesn’t trust him,” she warned, setting her spoon down back into the bowl as Hiroto listened intently. “But he told me he’s never been on a date.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, so he’s lying,” Hiroto said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “I know of girls who have said that they’ve been on dates with him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew that’s what you were going to say, but I don’t know. It seems odd to me that he wouldn’t have been on a date. He said he </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but they were all facilitated by the club, like auctions for a date or something I guess,” Reina said. Hiroto seemed to think about it, scrunching up his nose in thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I don’t know whether or not they were these fake auction dates or not,” he admitted, and Reina gave a little nod. “I’m inclined to still think he’s lying, but I’ll continue to try and be unbiased.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you so much for that,” Reina teased, but then seemed to stop midthought. “How did you know that Tamaki and I spend study hall together? I don’t think I’ve mentioned it ever,” she realized, squinting her eyes as she tried to think about it, but Hiroto just raised a single eyebrow at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like it’s the biggest secret in the world. Yuma and I are in the same class, and he’s mentioned seeing you and Suoh walking the halls almost everyday when he’s going towards the library. You’re not as mysterious as you might think that you are,” he said, a hint of amusement in his last sentence. Reina let out a soft sigh, cupping both of her cheeks with her hands and resting against the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck my life,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she mumbled in English, envoking a little chuckle from Hiroto.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d better tell us everything,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since you went to such great lengths to hide it from us,” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And we figured it out anyway,” the twins intertwined together, bombarding Tamaki the moment he made it into the host club room. They had dismissed Haruhi from the club’s gathering for the day in case she was still feeling weird after the whole incident from the physical exam, so the room was only filled with the male host club members. Tamaki crossed his arms and lifted his chin up high, eyes closed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought I couldn’t keep a secret,” he smugly responded, getting an eye roll out of almost every person in the room. “So now I am.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not this time,” the twins responded together, each taking an arm and tugging their president into a solid wood chair. Hikaru grabbed a lamp and shined it into Tamaki’s face, making his eyes snap shut and he lifted an arm to shield himself from the new light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d better talk, we all deserve to know,” Hikaru said, taking on the bad cop role, which made Tamaki scoff. Kaoru rested his hand on Hikaru’s arm as if to calm him down before turning to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss, we’re here for you. We’re interested in your life,” Kaoru told him gently, taking on the good cop role seamlessly,  which immediately made Tamaki’s face scrunch up in confusion. “I think Hikaru is just hurt that you didn’t talk to us.” Kyoya rolled his eyes from the table that he was at, but listened in intently as he stared into his laptop screen. Honey and Mori stood nearby, not speaking, but also slightly interested in the unheard of developments since they all left one another on Sunday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like that,” Tamaki tried, but Hikaru let out a little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought we were supposed to be a family,” he admitted, glancing away from Tamaki. Tamaki’s eyes glossed over as he looked between the two twins, his heart strings being tugged on. “I thought family told each other their secrets, and you didn’t tell us anything yesterday when we asked.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss, especially in the presence of my little girl!” Tamaki defended, holding both his hands up. “We are a family!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well Haruhi isn’t here today,” Kaoru noted, exchanging a glance with Hikaru before looking back at Tamaki. “So if that’s really all it was, boss, you’re free to speak today.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to be somewhat aware of the fact that you’re being manipulated by them, right, Tamaki?” Kyoya piped up from his table, getting glares from both the twins, though Tamaki didn’t seem to even notice that Kyoya had said anything in the first place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll tell you. Reina stayed the night at my house, both on Sunday and last night. She helped me hide the hickeys this morning,” Tamaki said quickly, as Hikaru finally set the lamp back down upright, no longer shining it in Tamaki’s face. “We, did things, on Sunday night,” he admitted, a blush flaring up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you two did have sex?” Hikaru asked bluntly. Tamaki’s face went an even deeper shade of red as he jumped up from his seat in preparation to yell at Hikaru, but after not being able to find the words, dropped his finger that he had shoved in the twin’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said simply. “We didn’t. Just other stuff,” he elaborated quietly, face still as red as a tomato. “She told me we couldn’t, I’m wondering if it was because we’re both virgins or because we were drinking, or maybe both.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were drinking?” Kaoru asked with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re both virgins?” Hikaru asked, cocking an eyebrow. The twins' words overlapped one another’s, and Tamaki had to take a moment to decipher what each of them said before continuing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our dads let us drink wine at dinner. We shared the bottle, but were both fine - it was a small bottle,” he clarified, then frowned. “I’m a virgin. I guess I’ve never asked if she was. Maybe she isn’t,” he realized, furrowing his eyebrows, but then shook it away. “I don’t care whether she is or isn’t, it doesn’t really matter. I told her that I hadn’t spent much time with girls outside the club, so she must’ve known that I am.” Everyone in the room exchanged looks with one another. Somehow, none of them had ever known Tamaki to be a virgin, though now that it was mentioned, it made sense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So was that your intention?” Kyoya asked, Tamaki now suddenly aware of everyone else’s presence in the room. “To lose your virginity?” Tamaki’s face shifted back to its original red shade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, no,” he said hastily, then furrowed his eyebrows a bit. He glanced down at the ground, biting the inside of his cheek in thought. “I mean, I want to. I just like her,” he finally admitted. “It’s not about sex. I like her.” Everyone in the room seemed relieved that he finally was able to admit it outloud, giving little nods. Kaoru in particular smiled softly as he thought back on what he and Connor had talked about. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This could be really good for the both of them,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself before glancing at Hikaru, catching his little smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then,” Kaoru said, he started, looking over at Hikaru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Operation ‘get the boss laid’!” Hikaru announced. Tamaki’s eyes went wide and the music room was filled with rageful screams about how he doesn’t need anyone’s help with that, how the twins were perverts, and about how he never should have told them a word about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It only took a day for Reina to break her promise to Yuzuru by going home during her study hall period on Wednesday, so on Thursday, she was guilted by Tamaki to stay. He had made the request for them to spend their study hall together, as they usually did, and Reina reluctantly accepted. She had already rationalized in her head that refusing would make everything weirder, and she was hoping to avoid that, but her unsettled nerves weren’t helping her with the amount of awkwardness and hesitancy she was conveying, which Tamaki had immediately picked up on. Though he noticed it, class had already begun and he chose to save it for study hall. Once the class period started, the two both instinctively stood and began their venture out towards their established meeting spot in the hedge maze. Once arriving, Reina did as she always did and was the first to pull out her homework. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I missed you yesterday,” Tamaki said charmingly, resting his elbow against the table and cupping his own cheek, gazing over at Reina as she started on one of her assignments. Reina peeked at him, sending him a tiny little smile before glancing back down at her work silently. Tamaki froze in his spot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Could this be the beginning of the end? Before we’ve even truly started? I thought we were getting somewhere,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought mournfully, though tried not to lose his enthusiasm. “I’ll have to thank my father for making you stay here, I’ve grown quite used to our mid-day rendezvous,” he mentioned, his voice just as captivating as the last time. Reina cracked another short-lived smile, this time her eyes not leaving her assignment as she hastily jotted down some answers. Tamaki took a silent, but deep breath in as he tried to push aside his wandering thoughts, though it didn’t work very well. Finally, he began to pull out some of his own homework. Reina peeked back up at him once again, watching as Tamaki slowly turned more and more somber looking. He was currently thinking through every stack of words his mind could come up with, in hopes of finding something that would make sense to say, but he didn’t have enough time to think about it before Reina spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I heard that the concealer didn’t work out for you,” Reina finally said, and Tamaki’s head perked up. He realized that they hadn’t talked about the situation yet. Tuesday had been hectic by the time all the exams were done, then Reina had missed their normal talking time during school hours on Wednesday, and to top it off, the host club had been unusually busy that afternoon - most likely due to the water incident. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would have worked, but those twins truly are some devils,” he said, sending her a little smile. “I think they saw the makeup on my shirt, and took it upon themselves to figure out what it was all about since I wouldn’t tell them.” He glanced back at her, expecting her to find some amusement out of it, but Reina just gave a little nod and looked back down at her homework. “They deliberately spilled water all over me in front of a large group, I wish you could have seen it, I think you would have found it funny.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should have gone to get a better brand, I’m sorry, that’s my fault,” she said in the middle of a math equation. He blinked a few times, trying to watch for any other reaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay, my princess,” he responded softly, still watching her. “In fact, I had a huge influx of guests come in yesterday. I’m guessing it had to do with the incident!” He excitedly told her, but Reina simply nodded softly, moving onto the next problem. She finally noticed his gaze and she quickly perked her head up, sending him a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s good! So you were busy yesterday then?” She responded, matching his enthusiasm, but the long gap between the two’s words were heavily noticeable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he confirmed quietly, not yet convinced. “You okay today?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, just tired,” she shrugged, sitting back against the bench and pulling her knees closer to her, grabbing the paper off the table and placing it against her legs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hopefully he hasn’t noticed that I’m apparently mean when I’m tired… Am I being cold? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She realized, looking back up at him to gauge his expression, but he seemed much less concerned than he last had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Must’ve had a bad sleep since I wasn’t there,” Tamaki teased, sending her a little wink as he leaned his arm against the table, his body facing towards her. She let out a little laugh, but looked back down at the paper in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess I should probably work on that “cold” thing,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, continuing her writing. Silence ensued, but only for a moment. “I know I didn’t sleep as well as I did on Sunday and Monday.” Her breath almost hitched in her throat, but she held it back, sending him a tiny little, almost pathetic attempt of a smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Probably a good opportunity to talk about what I’ve been thinking about, then.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t get too used to it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she mused. “I can’t stay over on weeknights anymore.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did Sora implement a new rule?” Tamaki asked, frowning slightly at the idea of now having five days off limits, but Reina shook her head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m implementing a new rule,” she said, looking up at him with another little attempt at a smile. “It’s probably just a better plan to stick to weekends only.” He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got to school even earlier than I did, so I know it’s not a time issue. Were you uncomfortable getting ready at my house in the morning? I could pick up some of your preferred shampoo and stuff, if you want me to,” he tried to negotiate, but she gave him a small smile as she shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, getting ready at your house was fine, Tamaki, don’t worry about it,” she said, trying to end the conversation, but it didn’t end there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can fix whatever the issue was,” he tried, a twinge of desperation in his voice, but she reached out and touched the top of his hand with hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There wasn’t an issue,” she reassured. “I think it’ll just be easier with these new guidelines.” Confusion only sunk further into his expression, so she finally sighed and set the homework sheet aside. “Emica figured out that I was the one that gave you the hickeys,” she confessed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should probably skip out on mentioning that Hiroto also did. I may need to explain that I went on another date with him and I haven’t quite figured out those guilty feelings yet. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki nodded slowly, waiting for the followup. “That.. wasn’t the plan,” she continued, furrowing her eyebrows a little at his calm demeanor. “Why are you so chill about this?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t mind if she knows,” Tamaki responded, watching Reina. “You do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, yeah,” she nodded, glancing away for a second. “I mean ideally, nobody saw them in the first place, but since they did, I didn’t want that to be traced back to anyone.” She glanced back at him, watching as his expression looked more and more hurt. “Hey - tell me what you’re thinking right now,” she said simply, which caught him by surprise. “I don’t want any more communication issues between us, so I just want to make sure that’s not what’s happening right now,” she elaborated, and he slowly nodded in understanding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m wondering if you’re ashamed,” he admitted, keeping eye contact with her, and she blinked. “If you’re ashamed that we were that we were together.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Tamaki, not at all,” she said quickly, scooching her body closer to him on the bench. “That’s not what I mean at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then what’s the issue?” He asked softly, looking down at her and moving his hand from underneath hers to instead hold onto hers. His voice was much more gentle than she might have imagined it would have been, and it almost made her melt under his tear-jerking gaze. She looked down at their hands, then back up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea,” she confirmed with a little nod. “I just don’t think anyone needs to know our business. We already spend all of our study halls together, and normally walk around holding hands or something. It would just be adding fuel to the flame. If I stay the night with you on weekdays, then we’d probably ride to school together like you had originally offered, and I can’t imagine what people might think if that became a regular occurrence. Besides, you have all those guests, and I don’t want it slipping out that you’re somewhat with me, and for you to lose those guests or something, and for it to have been because of me, of all things,” she explained, still studying his somewhat sad features. “You’re looking at me like you don’t understand why I said that, but tell me, why did the twins have to sneak around to see the hickeys? Did you tell them, or any of your friends, about Sunday before they saw the hickeys for themselves?” He thought about it for a moment, his cheeks turning a soft pink as he thought back to the afternoon after the physical exam before shaking his head. “Right, and that’s because it’s not any of their business, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care if they know,” he responded after some thought. “But, I just didn’t tell them because it felt weird to talk about it in front of Haruhi,” he mentioned, grazing over the fact that he could never talk about something like that in front of a girl he considered a daughter, because it felt obvious to him, and she gave a tiny nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So he must </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>sort of </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>like her still,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to himself. She felt bitter for just a moment, but after the initial feeling, swiftly shook it away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why the fuck does that matter?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “After the whole situation at the exams, when they interrogated me about it, I told them. They all seemed excited for me,” he admitted, but quickly corrected. “Happy that we’re hanging out more often, like I had wanted.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And your guests?” She asked, and he frowned at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ll either stay or they won’t,” he said softly, squeezing her hand. “And like I said, I got more guests after the whole incident. I’m not concerned about that aspect of it, at all. Not even a little,” he reassured. “The hosts aren’t forbidden from having relationships or anything. I’m not worried about how other people look at me, either. Besides, us driving into school in the same car doesn’t immediately scream that we stayed the night with each other, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you had noticed the looks from just a coffee that I placed on your desk yesterday, I think you might disagree,” she pointed out, letting out a little laugh. “I think everyone would put two and two together eventually.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And is that a bad thing?” Tamaki pondered, watching Reina as she thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has nothing to do with you, I just like my dating life to be private,” she responded, and he nodded a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we’re dating?” He quizzed, and she laughed just a little more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going on a date, or a few,” she corrected, then grinned a little. “In fact, weren’t we supposed to be planning your first date for this weekend? We should talk about that,” Reina suggested, in hopes of moving the conversation forward, but he shook his head with a cocked eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can talk about it right after this conversation, my princess. If you’re serious about not wanting any more communication issues, we have to be thorough,” he announced, and although she scrunched up her nose, she didn’t argue. “Would you be embarrassed if people knew that you and I were a thing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be embarrassed if anyone knew I had a thing with you - as in, I wouldn’t be embarrassed for others to know about us because of you, I just find it uncomfortable to have people knowing who I’m with at all, no matter the person,” she confirmed, watching him. “Wouldn’t you feel weird if everyone knew that you and I were spending nights with each other?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not in the slightest, but I understand what you mean,” he said quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what if you decide to take another girl on a date, and then show up to school with me the next week? I don’t want to ruin your chances with another girl or anything.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Like with Haruhi. I wouldn’t want to ruin your chances with Haruhi,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina noted to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have no intentions of dating other girls, despite the permission you gave me to do that,” he stated, watching her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>...Except for Haruhi? Or, is that not a thing? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought to herself as she stared up at him for a few moments before nodding slightly. “Are you sure you’re not ashamed?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she warned, narrowing her eyes at him. “If you ask that again, I’m gonna find the biggest crowd in the school and kiss you in front of them. I’m not ashamed, or embarrassed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So once again, are you ashamed?” He mused, and she rolled her eyes at him, though laughed softly afterwards. “Is there anything negative you do feel?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she sighed softly, turning her head the other way, trying not to let him see her refraining from smiling. He stilled, waiting for her follow up. “I don’t know… I guess, I feel a little.. I can’t think of the word. Maybe, ashamed?” she finally finished, her smile finally popped up as she turned back to him, laughing just a little. He grimaced, rolling his eyes at her, but he relaxed at the sound of her laugh and shortly joined in with a small little chuckle. She laid her head on his shoulder, taking their intertwined hands and resting them in her lap. “Just kidding. There is one thing though I feel I should mention, since we’re on the topic. I feel a little worried that I took advantage of you on Sunday. You told me that you had never drank that much, and you told me you hadn’t done much with girls, but I still allowed it, and I feel wrong for that, so I’m sorry that I let it happen.” He frowned, taking their joined hands and softly kissing hers, before letting them fall back into her lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope you don’t actually feel that way,” he said softly, and when the only response he got back was a shrug, he looked down at her. “You didn’t take advantage of me. We drank the same amount, and I was completely coherent. I knew what I was doing. You even stopped it before we went anywhere with it, there’s nothing to be sorry for. I would do that sober,” he finished, and she finally turned her head to look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so,” she said softly, then bit her lip softly. “Do you want to talk about the date I’m taking you on this weekend, then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can talk about the weekend I’m taking you on,” he corrected once more, using his free arm to grab her, pulling her into his chest as he turned sideways on the bench to accommodate the new position. She laid her head on his chest, squeezing his hand softly, and using her free hand to trace his fingers over and over. “I’ll find a nice restaurant.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you want to do, though?” She asked, smiling up at him. “We can do whatever you want, Tamaki.” He sucked the inside of his cheek in thought, then grinned down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I always thought a fun thing to do would be to go ice skating on a date,” he admitted, and she grinned back at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t promise I’ll be any good, but I think that would definitely be fun. Tomorrow or Saturday?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow. It’s a date, baby,” he smiled softly, giving her a little wink which made her let out a little laugh. “And if you like me enough after the first, maybe you’ll let me take you out on another on Saturday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re using up those ten dates that I promised pretty quickly,” she teased, but smiled up at him, before checking the time quickly and sighing. “I have to go meet Emica for lunch. I blew her off yesterday, she wants to know more about, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she said, motioning to their positions before moving off his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to tell her everything?” He asked, and she shook her head, beginning to pack up her items. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really can’t. A lot of it is about Connor, or my parents knowing your dad, plus the stuff I just want to keep to myself. So it’ll be the super watered down version,” she explained, grabbing her bag and standing. “Walk with me?” She requested, holding her hand out for him. He took it and stood easily, smiling down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, my princess,” he beamed, taking the first few steps before stealing her backpack from her shoulder, holding it easily in his free hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I prefer baby,” she teased, grinning up at him as they walked back towards the academy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel like you’re leaving stuff out,” Emica frowned, watching Reina from across the table. “You’re telling me you just kissed a little bit?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” she nodded a little, her cheek pressed against her fist, leaned against the table. Emica eyed her, frowning a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” she mused, still not completely convinced. “You had the opportunity to go all the way with Tamaki Suoh, and you didn’t take it?” She asked, lowering her voice all the way down, and Reina rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be correct,” she said simply with a nod. Emica furrowed her eyebrows together. “You’re acting like I only had one shot with this guy. I didn’t want to have sex with him the same night I kissed him, what’s the problem?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t know of anyone else who wouldn’t have done it,” Emica retorted, but shaking her head. “Everyone else who’s been with him made it seem like they got through all the phases pretty quickly.” Reina cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone else? Maybe I just assumed that he was a virgin incorrectly, since he said that he had never been on a date. Expect for club dates. Does he have sex with those who win those auctions? I mean, I doubt it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, trying to think about it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I just can’t really imagine Tamaki having sex with someone before a date with them, that just doesn’t seem like his type. Then again, we’ve never been on an official date, but we’ve spent a lot of time together one on one, and the possibility of us continuing on Sunday unless I had said something probably was pretty high. Maybe it was the same situation? He’s just spent time with them? I probably shouldn’t have assumed anything about that aspect of him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself, then quickly jumped back to reality to respond. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Consider me the outlier,” Reina laughed a bit with a shrug, pushing her thoughts back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If he’s not a virgin, then that makes things easier, for sure. Far less likely for him to get attached if he’s already had sex with others.  </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I just didn’t feel a need to hit every box in an hour. If it happens, then it’ll happen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think it will?” Emica gushed, and Reina shrugged again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going on a date tomorrow, so maybe,” she responded, and Emica’s eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well you have to tell me everything on Saturday!” Emica exclaimed with a beam in Reina’s direction, but she hardly noticed as her mind went back to the original thoughts she had been having, even as far back as on her date. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I felt guilty on a date with Hiroto, I got jealous about the idea of him still possibly trying to pursue Haruhi, and now I’m trying to figure out his sex life. I need to really chill out - we are not and will not ever be serious. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Probably. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why the fuck did I think “probably”?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Unconventional First Date (32)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Two</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a lot of searching, but Reina finally found an outfit that could accommodate for the warmth of outside and the colder temperatures inside the ice rink, while also looking cute. She glanced over herself in the mirror. She had picked out a white sweater dress that was a little more form fitting than she was used to, but it was still a decent length, and a fabric that wasn’t too heavy but was warm enough. Underneath, she had a pair of spandex shorts on in case she fell while skating, in order to save her modesty, with black opaque tights on top. She scooped up a pair of wedged boots that Connor had picked out for her during the birthday weekend before heading down into the foyer and taking a seat to pull her shoes on. Once they were on, she pulled out her phone to check the time. 6:59. The moment her clock turned to 7:00, the doorbell chimed loudly along the whole house. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right on time,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself with a small little smile, jumping up and running to answer it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That somehow just makes sense for him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She propped the door open, grinning at the beaming man in front of her. Tamaki stood, holding a huge bouquet of white roses in a gorgeously intricate lavender vase. He was dressed appropriately for the outing, in a pair of light wash jeans and a thick, button up, blue flannel jacket with a hood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw, baby, you didn’t have to,” she teased, giving him a smile as he handed the flowers over to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to, my princess. We still need to decorate your room, and this will be a great addition,” he smiled back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me two seconds,” she said quickly, heading into the house further and once she found a staff member, Reina requested that she bring the flowers up to her room before heading back to Tamaki, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. “Ready?” She asked, looking up at him. He nodded, reaching out and taking her hand in his as he led her down the steps to the car, opening the door for her. She climbed in, and just as she usually did, climbed to the other side so he could slide right in next to her. The car ride was mostly silent, though the two held hands in the backseat and would randomly squeeze each other’s hands in different intervals, a few giggles and chuckles coming from them. When the driver pulled up to the front of the ice rink, Tamaki jumped out and led Reina out with his hand. They were quick to pay for their admissions and get their skates, and once they pulled them on, Tamaki wobbly stood on the carpet and held his hand out for Reina once more. She took his hand and pulled herself up, laughing a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re having trouble now, imagine how it’s going to be on the ice,” she pointed out, and he grinned down at her as they made their way to the ice, slowly but surely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t let you fall,” he swore, and she smirked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is, if you don’t fall first,” she retorted, and he shook his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t,” he said, taking the first step onto the ice and immediately almost slipped. He quickly caught himself, and sent a look back at Reina who was smirking only slightly. “The only mess up of the night!” He exclaimed, bringing his other foot onto the ice and steadying himself, before turning and holding both arms out to Reina. “I got you, come here,” he said, moving backwards slightly to give her room. She glanced down at the ice and bit the inside of her cheek, but reached forward and held onto each of his extended hands and took the first step. She stayed still for a moment, making sure she was steady, before pushing off with the foot still on the carpet and slid over to him, giving him a big smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for the help,” she said, letting go of one of his hands so they could skate side by side. “Have you ever done this before? Ice skating?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom took me a few times when I was younger, but it’s been a long time,” he explained as they slowly began to skate in the oversized circle, the both of them getting the hang of it. “I always thought about coming again, because it had always been fun, but never found the perfect opportunity,” he said, looking over at her as she concentrated on not falling. “Never found the perfect girl to bring with me until recently,” he corrected with a soft smile, taking an extra long stride and pulling her with him, but gently, and she jumped a little but quickly adjusted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You brought another girl here? Where’s she at?” She smirked over at him, giving him a little wink as he scoffed. Slowly, he pulled her in front of him, placing his free hand on her waist and led her, skating behind her. Once they were secure in that position, he leaned his face down to her ear, getting them into a rhythm before he spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re joking,” he explained. “But I just have to remind you that you’re the only perfect girl I could ever be talking about,” he said coolly, tightening his grip on her waist with his left hand, then softly let go of her hand he held in his right, moving it to the other side of her waist and holding onto her tightly. Reina had one arm out in an attempt to help her balance, the other clasping over one of his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you let go, I’m totally going to fall,” she warned him, tightening her grip on his hand and he chuckled softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re doing a good job, I think you would do okay,” he said quietly, standing up straight and continuing to skate with her. “Have you ever done this before?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, kind of,” she said slowly. “Ice skating is super popular in The Netherlands, but I never really went sober, so I can’t count it since I was on the ground the majority of the time.” He furrowed his eyebrows, but didn’t need to ask for an explanation, since Reina knew he would ask for one. “I told you already, but my host family was really strict out there, so I caused a lot of trouble. And the friends that I had out there all had fake IDs, so we were sneaking off to Amsterdam to smoke or getting alcohol all the time, among occasional other things. That was the majority of my year last year. Kinda fun though, to try and ice skate while on something, your falls never hurt,” she laughed a little, subconsciously grabbing onto his hand a little tighter, then glanced back at him. “There was this really cool rink out there, where the ceiling was covered in these rainbow lights. I wish you could have seen that place, you would have liked it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That does sound fun. The ice rink venue, that is,” he clarified quickly. “Not so much on the rest of that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I brought alcohol here today. You don’t want to go get drunk really quick and get back out here?” She joked, sending him another quick glance, but the slight turn set her off balance and she had to quickly fix herself - with his help, of course. “I don’t even know how I got the nerve to try and get on ice with any amount of liquor in my body, I can’t even do it normally.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you’re doing fine,” he reassured, his hands moving to her stomach and he laced his fingers together, pressing her body to his. “I have you.” She smiled a little, relaxing a little in his hold, but kept her hand planted against one of his. They skated in silence for a few more minutes, just listening to the music that the ice rink had playing overhead as Reina continued to get the hang of it, and they began to pick up speed. Once she seemed to be mostly skating on her own, he loosened his hold and grabbed her hand still pressed to his own, cautiously moving back to her side and intertwining their fingers as they made another turn together. “See! You’re doing great!” She grinned up at him, squeezing his hand softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just glad it’s not too busy,” she admitted, glancing around at the lack of people skating around them. “I get you mostly all to myself,” she mused, looking back up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can have me to yourself anytime you want, my dear,” he mused back, swinging their hands just a little bit, and she smiled over at him for a moment before she perked up a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you do any tricks?” She asked, as if just realizing. “Any twirls, skate backwards or anything?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I probably could go backwards,” he said, thinking about it. He peered behind them, to make sure nobody was approaching before he slowed the both of them down enough to safely turn himself backwards, letting go of her hand in the process. She took a moment to stabilize herself on her own, and she started to skate on her own a little bit, turning to him. He waited a moment before pushing himself backwards, letting out an excited little laugh as he flew backwards, but he stopped himself as he realized he was going much faster than Reina was able to go. “Here, grab my hands, I’ll pull you,” he offered, waiting until she reached him and held his hands out for her once more. She scrunched up her nose at her clear inabilities, but took both his hands, not quite expecting the force of the tug he pulled out. She let out a tiny little squeal as he pulled her along, shutting her eyes tightly as she felt her hair start to flow a little bit in the wind he had created. Tamaki laughed a bit, just watching Reina in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I regret asking if you could do tricks,” she called out, her eyes still shut as he started to slow them down. He pulled himself to almost a complete stop and tried to do the same for Reina, but wasn’t quite fast enough, and quickly braced both of them as he let go of her hands, allowing her to collide into his chest, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her to steady them both. A little gasp came out of the girl in his arms, but neither of them had fallen. He held onto her for another moment, until she finally fluttered her eyes back open and looked up at him. “Sorry,” she said softly, cheeks pink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize,” he said, pushing some of her hair back in place before taking a small step back. “I just wanted another excuse to hold you is all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you still want to hold me, you could skate behind me like before,” she said, eyes twinkling as she looked up at him. With a grin, he moved into position behind her, arms snaking around her waist, and they continued on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The couple skated for another hour and a half more, Reina practicing more and more until she got to the point where she could easily skate on her own, just not nearly as fast as Tamaki could. But they called that a win, and decided it was probably their time to leave. They each escaped off of the ice with no scratches or bruises, and made it back outside with smiles on both their faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go get dinner somewhere,” Tamaki said, though the idea of sitting down at a restaurant for another hour sounded exhausting. Reina looked up at him, squeezing his hand as they waited for the driver to pull around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to?” She asked, leaning her chin against his arm as she watched him. “We don’t have to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could pick something up and bring it back to my house, if that works for you, my princess,” he suggested, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. She grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was hoping you’d say that,” she admitted, moving off of him once the driver pulled up to the front of the building for them, and they began to approach it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Any suggestions, my dear?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s not a normal type of date meal,” she warned, glancing up at him as he opened the door for her. “But I could really go for just fast food.” He blinked down at her, in shock, so she quickly changed her answer. “Or really anything! Anything that sounds good to you, baby,” she said, giving a little laugh at the continued usage of the pet name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, I love commoner fast food,” he said, still staring at her. “I would love that.” She blinked a few times, before grinning up at him and climbing into the car as he opened the door for her. He climbed in quickly after her, giving the driver their decision. The driver furrowed his eyebrows in the slightest, but gave a little nod without a word and began to drive. Tamaki glanced over at Reina, who had opted for the middle seat so she could lay against him. “Are you sure that’s what you want? Did someone tell you I like commoner food?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, I saw your face at the taste of a frozen pizza, nobody needed to tell me that you would like fast food,” she laughed, looking up at him. He gave a soft nod. Though the more he thought about it, he began to worry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fast food? On the first date I’m taking her on? That’s not a good first impression to leave on her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, glancing over at her as he cupped his hand on top of hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” He asked, which made her turn to him. “I want this to be a good date for you, my sweet princess,” he noted, but she just gave him a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Spending time with you is what makes it a good date, not what we do on it. I’m more than sure,” she told him genuinely, flipping her hand around to squeeze his own. Reina didn’t seem to notice Tamaki visibly melting at her words, his hand itching to clutch his heart as it began to beat faster at her words. “I would love nothing more than to just pick something up easy so we can go spend more time together in more comfortable attire, just as long as you don’t mind,” she explained. Tamaki’s smile grew and he nodded excitedly, squeezing her hand back in return. “I haven’t been to any fast food chains here in Japan. I’m sure most of the stuff is the same, but will you just get me the same order that you get?” She asked as she laid her head back against him, shutting her eyes for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, my princess,” he agreed, giving the top of her head a soft kiss. When they got to the restaurant, Tamaki had sent his driver in with the order and their preferred drinks, holding the almost asleep Reina in his arms. By the time they got back to the Suoh residence, Reina had dozed off for a few moments, but jolted awake as the car stopped again. “Could you bring the food up to my room?” Tamaki asked the driver softly, and the man nodded before jumping out of his position in the driver’s seat to carry the items into the house. Reina rubbed one of her eyes softly, trying not to smudge her makeup too much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could have carried it,” she said softly as Tamaki climbed out of the car, but realized why he had done that when he reached back in, pulling Reina out of the car and lifting her up bridal style. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can relax, it’s okay,” he said quietly, carrying her up the steps and through the open door easily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t asleep,” she said tiredly, though, nobody had said that she was, so Tamaki let out a little laugh at her, continuing to carry her up the stairs towards his room. “Am I supposed to say hi to your dad, or is he asleep by now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can say hello to him at breakfast in the morning,” Tamaki told her quietly, giving a nod to the driver as he passed by them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No need to go over to the main house just to say hello,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, completely forgetting about the fact that Reina wasn’t quite aware of the living arrangements. Tamaki brought her into his room and gently set her on the bed, giving her a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, fine, I was asleep. But I’m not anymore. Date night isn’t over, I promise,” she announced, stretching slightly and looking up at him. “Can I change before we eat? I left that shirt here last time.” He nodded and walked over to a little drawer in his dresser that was empty aside from the singular shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I cleared out this drawer here, in case you wanted to leave some clothes or a uniform here,” he told her with a smile, walking back to hand her the shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re sweet, you know that?” She gushed as she took the shirt, then looked up at him. “Are you going to change as well?” He gave a little nod, and she laughed a tiny bit. “Can we both just change here? We can turn away from each other and everything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s doable,” he confirmed, giving a nervous little laugh as he thought back to the sight of her body last time he had intruded, before heading off to grab pajama pants. Reina pulled off her shoes, setting them beside the bed and began to roll her tights off, pulling them past her feet and let them hit the ground before standing. Tamaki reemerged, holding his pants in his hand. With a little nod, and a wink from Reina, they each turned in opposite directions and began to undress. Reina pulled her dress over her head, and in a split decision, reached her arms around her to unhook her bra, pulling it off quickly. “You all done?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not yet,” she said quickly, letting her bra and dress hit the ground and pulled the shirt over her head, deciding to keep the spandex shorts on for a little more coverage. “Okay, I’m good,” she said, turning back around just as he did. “Do you want to eat out on the balcony?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good idea,” he smiled a little, rushing over to the table where the Suoh family driver had set the food down on and scooped it all up easily, as Reina turned to the double glass doors and pulled one open and held it for him. He walked out and set the items down on the little outdoor coffee table, and once Reina made her way over him, he led her to the loveseat and sat on one side, pulling her into the other side. He glanced down at her bare thighs. “Aren’t you going to be cold?” He asked. She bit the side of her cheek then turned to face him, bending her knees and laying them against his equally bare chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’ll probably be better for both of us,” she said, resting the side of her body against the back of the couch, her feet planting onto one of his thighs. His breath hitched a little, but he rested a hand on her outer knee, holding her legs tighter against his chest and he nodded to her before reaching forward and grabbing the bags. He dispersed the food between the two of them and they began to eat silently, just enjoying the other’s presence. Reina had finished her burger and reached to grab her drink, holding it with both hands and taking sips every so often as she laid her head against the back of the couch as well, eyes gazing up towards the sky to look out at the minimal amount of visible stars. Tamaki tossed the trash from his food back into the bag and placed it back on the table, turning to look at Reina afterwards. “You all done?” She asked, and he nodded a little. She set the drink in her hands, along with the spare fries she had back on the table, then in a swift movement, pulled herself into his lap sideways, her arms wrapping around his neck as she looked back up at the sky, resting her head on his shoulder. He jumped a bit initially, but slowly settled in with her, cautiously placing one hand on her back and the other remained on her outer knee, pulling her legs in closer to him. “Thank you for the great night,” she whispered softly to him. His thumb began to stroke her skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anytime, my princess,” he said quietly, digging his nose into her hair. “Did you have fun?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had a lot of fun, baby,” she responded, the pet name sounding more endearing than the usual mocking tone it held. “But the important question is, did you? Was it an ideal first date for you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a perfect first date,” he smiled into the top of her head, moving his hand from her back to wrap around her waist, tugging her closer into him. “Better than I could have asked for.” She reached her hand up and started to play with pieces of his hair, twirling individual strands between her fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t have to be over, we could watch a movie or do something else, if you want,” she whispered softly to him. He bit onto his lip and closed his eyes, just noticing the pressure was beginning to build, and he shifted slightly in an attempt to calm it down. She perked up instantly. “Am I hurting you? I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly, making an attempt to get off his lap, but he kept a hold on her and shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m okay,” he said softly, continuing to stroke her knee for another moment while she settled back into him, her body rubbing against his crotch once more. He let out a little breath before moving his arm to cup under her knees, and stood with her in his arms. “Let’s go watch a movie then,” he nodded, giving her a smile as he walked her inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to carry me, you know,” she mused softly, but still rested her head against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to,” he assured her as he set Reina down on the side of the bed she had normally slept in, before bounding over to the other side of the room to set up a movie for them. She let out a little giggle, but then jumped out of the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go brush my teeth really quickly, is that spare toothbrush in the bathroom?” She asked, and he gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm, it’s in the drawer,” he smiled back at her as he began rummaging through the DVDs. “Any suggestions before you leave?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything you want, baby,” she called out before stepping out of the bedroom door. Tamaki turned back to the options in front of him, trying to decide, before furrowing his eyebrows a little and picking one at random to throw in. By the time Reina had walked back in the door, Tamaki had the movie in and ready to be turned on, but he headed over towards the door and gave her a swift kiss on the forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My turn,” he sang, opening the door more. “I’ll be back in a second, make yourself comfortable,” he told her before slipping out. Reina smiled softly before doing as she was told. Tamaki was swift in his return, quickly flipping the lights off and clicked play on the movie before making his way over to the bed. Reina was sitting up, back against the headboard, her knees bent and separated, and she patted the spot in between them. Tamaki blinked a little. “You don’t want me to hold you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe later, but I can hold you this time,” she said softly with a smile. He thought about it for a moment before agreeing and climbing between her legs. He laid his head cautiously against her breasts, his armpits hitting the tops of her thighs, and his hands moved up and held onto each of her knees. Reina wrapped one of her arms around his front, draped over his shoulder and her hand landed on his collarbone on the opposite side, the other hand making its way through his hair. He settled into her, squeezing her knees for a moment before one of his hands started to stroke up and down on her leg. She continued to play with his hair, dropping her head down every few minutes to give the top of his head a kiss, and was stroking his chest and collarbone softly with her thumb. He turned to his side after a few moments, so Reina’s attention shifted to his back, giving him soft scratches up and down his spine. He let out a shaky breath as he shut his eyes, basking in her touch. Subconsciously, he had been moving his body further up, their heads almost side by side by the time he had realized. She let out a little laugh, turning her head to give him a little kiss on the nose. He glanced up at her for a moment before fully turning his body around to her, taking his arms back from her legs to prop himself up, hovering over her. She watched him, their eyes connecting as one of her hands trailed up his chest slowly, and made its way to cup his cheek. He bit his lip softly before finally moving forward, pressing his lips against hers, as he moved the rest of his body against hers. Reina took her free arm to wrap around his neck, pulling him even closer as she deepened the kiss. Her legs subconsciously wrapped around him, pressing herself even harder against him. Tamaki took one hand and rested it on the top of her thigh, making a slow trail down it until he got to the hem of her shirt, and started to toy with it softly. He let out a little breath against her lips, and Reina began to notice his hand shaking slightly near her stomach. She pulled away from the kiss and looked up at him, meeting his soft eyes looking back at her. She bit her lip, glancing down at his hand to see it, confirming what she had felt before she looked back up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki?” She asked softly, and he watched her as she continued to speak. “Have you ever done this before? I mean, are you a virgin?” Her voice was calm and quiet. He took a little breath, but kept their eyes connected as he nodded. “We don’t have to, you know,” she told him. He shook his head softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to,” he whispered back, his voice not able to make it any louder than that. “If, you want to,” he added at the end. Reina watched him, her hand still cupping his cheek. Without much thought - or, after pushing back </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of thoughts - she leaned back in and kissed him even rougher than before. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. And a Potential First Time (33)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: and 33 chapters later, here we are with some NSFW content. If you’re not into all that, then feel free to skip to the end of this chapter. I’ll add a long line of “~~~~”’s to indicate that the smut is over :) There’s really not a lot aside from the sex, just a tiny little Sora/Reina conversation that I feel is kind of important, and I wasn’t able to tack onto the next chapter. Thanks!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Three</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he’s lying, or maybe Emica just wasn’t correct, but I don’t really care about that right now. If this is his first time, I want to make it good for him. For us. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took the hand from his cheek and ran it through his hair, gripping it softly and giving only a little bit of a tug. Her free hand slid under his arm, reaching around to his back and pressed her palm against the middle of it, arching her back and pulling him down into her. He tried to mimic her energy, sliding his hand further up her stomach, letting the shirt trail up her skin as his hand moved higher. Reina used her legs that had still been wrapped around his waist to pull his crotch into hers, slowly rolling her hips against him, and he let out a little groan against her mouth. She moved the hand out of his hair and reached down, tugging softly at the hem of his pajama pants. She pulled away from his lips, swiftly making her way down to his chest, planting soft kisses along it to get a better reach on the fabric he wore. Once Reina was finally able to pull them off of his hips, the material fell off his thighs and hit his knees, which were deeply planted into the mattress. She continued on her original movements, leaving soft kisses all over his chest. He closed his eyes softly, throwing his head back and let out another soft groan as one of her hands moved down to the front of his boxers. Reina let her fingers linger teasingly, moving up and down his shaft through the fabric, circling the poking tip with a singular finger, before moving back up to the elastic. She stuck a single finger into the band, and pulled on it a little before letting it snap back in another tease. His body was shaking softly as he held himself up over her, so she pushed on his chest slightly to get him up. He sat back on his knees, looking down at her, the majority of him now revealed to her. She sat up on her knees and leaned up, giving him a soft peck on the lips, before leaning further up to his ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lay down,” she whispered softly to him, her sultry words ringing in his ear as he swiftly followed her orders, moving next to her and laying flat on his back. Reina moved down and slowly pulled his pants off the rest of the way, letting them hit the ground next to the bed, joining the rest of their clothes. She glanced down at him, biting softly on her lip. “Are you sure?” She asked, and he gave a little nod, his hand reaching out and touching her thigh softly. She nodded back and grabbed the bottom of her shirt to pull it off, but he swiftly stopped her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” he said softly, and Reina did immediately, under the impression that he had changed his mind. He sat up, grabbing onto the shirt on his own. Both of his hands on either side of her body, he slowly brought the material up. Reina lifted her arms as he made his way higher, and he pulled the shirt over her head before stopping to gaze in awe at her. Tamaki tossed the shirt aside, not caring where it went and he looked her up and down again, his hands moving back down to touch her. He leaned his head down, pressing his lips against her neck as both hands landed on her naked waist. Reina let her head fall back slightly, both of her hands planting onto his thighs as he sat back on his shins. He leaned down further, kissing her collarbones softly, then further down. One of his hands slowly crept up to grab her breast as his mouth made its way to the other. She let out a little gasp after he cautiously took her nipple in his mouth, and upon hearing her little sound, he used two fingers to play with her other one. She took a deep breath, only a little moan coming from her lips as he continued, trying not to be loud. Reina let him continue for a few more moments before she moved her hands to his chest, pushing him away softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, lay down,” she laughed softly, her voice shaky. “I’m trying to make you feel good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I’m trying to do, too,” he mused, his nerves clearly subsided for the moment, mouth still pressed against her breast. His voice sent soft vibrations into her skin and she let out another soft gasp, which he took as permission to continue. After another moment, she moved her body back and lifted his chin up to look at her and she leaned down, pecking his lips once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have plenty of time for that later, baby,” she said softly, and he let out a little chuckle. He placed his hand on her cheek as he pressed into another brief kiss, before pulling away and doing as he was initially told. She moved closer to his body, smiling up at him a little before going back into her original plan. Reina let her fingers trail across the band of his boxers, watching as his eyes tightly shut again. She pulled the fabric down slightly, but let it land right before his throbbing dick, leaving little kisses on the new skin. Reina felt the sheets under the knees tighten as Tamaki grabbed onto them in a deadly grip. She finally pulled the fabric enough, allowing his cock to spring out of the constricting material, the tip already glistening with precum. She continued to pull his boxers down, completely ignoring the piece in front of her begging for her attention. As the boxers made their way further down, she would kiss each new part of his legs that became visible. Tamaki let out a little groan, anticipation really setting in. She finally quit her teasing, pulling his boxers off the rest of the way and flinging them aside as he had done with her shirt, then moved her attention back up to him. She crawled between his spread legs, resting on her shins as her focus finally made its way to his dick, that was twitching every so often. She ran her hands up and down his thighs lightly as she leaned down, planting a singular kiss on the tip. Tamaki sucked in a breath of air, gripping the tights a little tighter as Reina’s tongue slowly circled the tip. She continued this for another moment before pushing her lips further down his member, basking in the sounds of his shaky breathing and sporadic groans. Her head bobbed up and down, slowly taking more and more of him in her mouth. The moment she took him in his entirety in her mouth, she reached up with one hand to cup his balls, and Tamaki let out a deep moan. Reina picked up the pace, pulling her mouth fully away before diving back in each time, receiving another sound from Tamaki each time. Subconsciously, Tamaki’s hips began to thrust to match her movements. He reached down with one of his hands, after pulling it from the grip he had on the sheets, and began to run his hand through her hair. Reina let out a little moan, sending vibrations onto him and Tamaki stopped in his tracks, thrusting his hips again and bit down hard on his lip. She smirked a bit through her actions and continued to bob her head, but now humming softly to give him that same feeling. Tamaki’s breathing quickened, and he gripped onto her hair again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina,” he let out, his voice shaky. His body forced him to thrust his hips once again, sending his entire cock into her mouth, and he gasped softly. “I’m gonna,” he was able to get out, pulling her hair a little harder to get her off of him, embarrassed of releasing in her mouth, but she didn’t budge. Reina continued what she was doing, twisting her head back and forth to push him the last bit. He let out a little moan, pushing his hips forward one last time before collapsing back onto the mattress as he came in her mouth. She took it all, allowing him to finish peacefully, before bobbing her head a few more times, getting another gasp out of Tamaki’s mouth. Once she had swallowed, she slowly pulled her mouth off of his half hard on, sitting back up to look at him. He glanced up at her, the hand that had been embedded in the sheets slowly letting go. She gave him a little smile. He sat up to meet her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into his lap, facing her forward. She wrapped her legs around him, still wearing both her spandex shorts and underwear. He leaned in, their lips meeting once more as his hands ran over her body, mimicking her previous action by pulling at the elastic garment she was wearing. Reina pressed her breasts up against his chest, wrapping one arm tightly around his neck and the other ran through his blonde hair. He swiftly was growing hard again, which she realized when she felt as his dick began to press harder against her, so she softly began to grind against him. He let out a little breath in between their kiss, his hands desperately trying to pull the remainder of her clothes off. Reina pulled back, looking at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t been the best about taking my birth control, do you have those condoms in here?” She asked, and he hastily nodded. She climbed off of him and he swung himself out of the bed quickly, pulling the unopened box out from his nightstand drawer, and he began to pull the cellophane wrapping off. Reina let out a little giggle at his quickened pace, and moved onto her knees to pull her clothing off. He caught it out of the corner of his eye as soon as the box was opened and he had a singular condom in his hand, so he turned swiftly and stopped her once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your turn to lay,” he said softly, looking down at her. She nodded a little and moved back down, laying her head in the cloud of pillows on the bed. Tamaki set the condom back down for a moment, tossing the box back in the drawer easily and moving to her. He moved between her legs, as she had just done with him, and tugged the material down, grabbing both items in one go. He pulled them down to her knees, then lifted her legs up to get them the rest of the way. Once they were off, he kept her legs bent up, her feet landing right at his shoulders. Tamaki ran both his hands over each leg, looking over her body in awe. She moved her legs back down, but rested them back at his waist, wrapping them around loosely. His hands ran past her thighs, slowing near her stomach and just rested there, admiring for a few more moments before leaning over and grabbing the condom he had set aside. He set it closer to them, not yet opening it, then leaned down to the body in front of him. “You’re so beautiful,” he mumbled softly against her skin, pressing his lips to her neck and giving it soft kisses. He moved down to her collarbone and decided to repay the favor she had given him earlier in the week, biting softly down on her skin before sucking on it, getting a light moan from Reina. She moved her hand to her face, biting down on her thumb in hopes of helping the volume. Tamaki made sure he made his mark before moving lower, going back down to please her nipples a little further. She moaned quietly through her thumb, using her grip that her legs had on his waist to continue to grind against him, now much more intimately with nothing keeping their bodies apart. Reina could feel that his cock was right back in its original form, completely erect, and still a little slick from her. She could hear his soft moans against her hard nipple. His free hand roamed down as he moved his mouth over to her other nipple, and he grabbed her ass, slowly assisting her in their dry humping. He moved his lips away from her swollen nipple, kissing the rest of her breast very softly, then nibbled very softly and began to work on another hickey on the top of her breast. Reina let out a little pleasure filled sigh, pulling him even closer with her legs, his cock so close to sliding into her with each tiny thrust he made. She reached over and grabbed hold of the condom, ready to give it to him the moment he lifted his head up from her skin. Once the hickey was officially embedded, he looked up and took the little package in his hand and tore the side of it, glancing down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me put it on you,” she pleaded softly, moving her thumb out of her mouth to speak. He noticed the little teeth marks she had left in her own skin and gave a little nod, his cock twitching at the sight of it. He handed it over and she sat up slightly, pulling the rubber out of it’s wrapper. Reina reached out, placing the condom against the tip of his penis, and slowly pushed it down his shaft, teasingly lingering at each roll before finally pushing the remainder of it down. Reina moved her hand up his body, resting on his chest as she looked back up at him. Tamaki watched her, hands rested on her hips, mentally preparing himself. Reina adjusted herself, pushing his tip directly in front of her entrance. “Last chance to opt out,” she told him quietly, her hand remaining on his chest, but she moved her fingers slightly to stroke his skin. He stared down at her for another moment before tightening his grip on her hips, slamming his own forward and ripping into her. Reina gasped loudly, her free hand flying back to her mouth and she bit back down on her thumb knuckle, her fingernails digging into his chest. Tamaki sucked in a quick breath as well, eyes tempting to close, but unable to look away from the sight in front of him. He started his pace slowly, gliding out of her, keeping only the tip in, then slowly pushing his way back through, watching as Reina’s breasts bounced slightly each time he deepened himself. She bit down hard on her knuckle, her eyes fluttering shut as he continued. Just as Tamaki began to pick up the speed, Reina used the grip she had on his waist with her legs and pulled herself a little higher, arching her back and allowing him to plunge even deeper than he had been before, and he let out a groan, having the slow himself for a moment to recompose himself. She pulled his body closer as he paused, forcing him into another deep thrust and Tamaki almost toppled over at the feeling, letting out another moan and dropping his head forward as he continued with her new pace, working with her as she pulled him back with her legs each time. Reina took the hand from his chest, after leaving a few claw marks, and grabbed one of his hands. She led it to her clitorus, taking his thumb and guiding him softly, pushing his finger in little circles. He noticed her little whimpers as he did as she showed, so he picked up the speed a bit, aiming to please her to the best of his abilities. He glanced up, admiring the way her breasts jumped with each of his passionate pumps into her.  Reina sent her body further against his as he thrusted forward, letting out another quiet, muffled whimper as she covered her entire mouth with her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Nobody will hear you, my dear. Make noise for me,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki moaned out, subconsciously switching to French. Reina was hesitant, but uncovered her mouth and let out a shaky little moan, arching her back even more as the new adrenaline from her sound sent Tamaki into a much faster pace. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You feel so good,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he breathed out, sending his hips forward roughly as soon as the words left his mouth. Her breathing fastened, letting out little moans and whimpers as her hands both flew to his sides, gripping tightly into his skin. He could feel her tensing up and quickened the speed of his thumb, letting out a loud groan as he felt her vaginal walls tighten around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she called out, digging her nails into his skin, allowing her head to fall back. Reina held onto him tighter, throwing herself harder into him as she let out a final moan, her eyes closed tightly. Tamaki felt his own climax quickly approaching, so he began to move much, much quicker, until his head fell forward in a little howl, slowing his pace as he filled the condom. With closed eyes, he moved his hands to her sides, sliding her out of her arched position and moving her flat on her back. They both stayed still for a few more moments, regulating their breathing, and keeping their hold on each other. He pulled himself out of her finally, taking a deep breath and quickly tore off the condom, leaning over to toss it in the trash bin next to his bed, then he looked back down at her. Reina’s eyes slowly opened and she looked up at Tamaki, her eyes slightly glossy, her hold on him not yet loosening. He made the first move out of their current position, climbing out of her legs and collapsing next to her, grabbing her swiftly and tugging her limp body into his arms, facing her towards him. She wrapped both her arms around him, letting her hands run up and down his back as she looked up at him, meeting his adoring gaze. “Heh, hopefully that worked for your first time,” she laughed softly as she looked up at him. He flared up in a blush, quickly leaning in and giving her a few pecks on the lips, taking her a little bit by surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I loved experiencing that with you,” he gently responded, keeping hold on her so he could look back into her eyes before tugging her into his chest, hugging her softly. She blinked a few times, but hugged him back, her arms snaking around him tighter. “I hope I did well for you,” he whispered as he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. She let out a little laugh, shaking her head softly at him, then placed a little kiss on the chest in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did great, baby,” she teased, going back into scratching his back. “I think you were tricking me by saying you were a virgin,” she half joked, mind reeling back to her previous thoughts. “What’s the likelihood of any of your staff walking into your room in the morning while we’re still asleep?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should be none,” he mumbled softly into her hair, so she reached down and tugged the blanket onto their naked bodies before settling back into his grasp, giving him a little nod before shutting her eyes. She pushed the thoughts further back into her mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll figure it out later.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina began to think more and more about the last experience with Tamaki. Her mind combed over everything. All the details had been thought over more times than she could count. There were two things she was unable to cast aside. The first being how good it was with him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s not a chance he wasn’t actually a virgin. He’s either lying about his virginity, or he’s my soulmate. There’s no in between. Being with him, having sex with him, it just felt entirely too good for it to not be one of those two options. Virgins don’t fuck like that, and if they do, then I need to experience that forever. Wait! I’m overlooking the fact that he’s French! They have a reputation of being good in bed. So, I guess, three options? Maybe it’s just the French option. Though, in my experience with French men… Maybe not.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As the thoughts flew through her mind, she couldn’t help but grimace, even at the risk of Sora catching her facial expression from across the table. Reina stared down at her untouched lunch, biting the inside of her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And it’s not even like he did anything too crazy. I can’t cast this aside as some crazy, kinky sex. It just was good on it’s own. That has to come with experience. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The second thing she couldn’t stop thinking about was one of the things that happened after the sex even happened. She glanced up at Sora, who had already finished her food during their silent meal. Sora seemed to be watching Reina intently, trying to figure out when she should step in and say something, though Reina was the first to speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to remain being truthful with you, and let you know that Tamaki and I did, um,” Reina started, though she lost confidence with every word as her face turned a soft pink. “I mean, you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Sora finally said with a little nod. She was a little taken aback, and seemed to be waiting for the followup, but it never came. “Did you want to talk about it?” She asked with a cocked eyebrow, and Reina turned an even deeper shade of red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! I mean, not particularly, no,” she said quietly, glancing back down at the untouched food before pushing the plate to the side and resting her arms on the table, clasping her hands together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I know you’re on birth control since it gets picked up from the pharmacy each month. Did you use a condom?” She asked, and Reina gave a little nod. “You’re a teenager. Don’t act so guilty, you’re seventeen and being careful. You’re having fun, it’s normal at your age!” She said, almost singing the last part. “It’s okay, I’m not angry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think you would be,” Reina clarified softly, glancing up at Sora and biting the inside of her cheek. Sora furrowed her eyebrows together. “I sort of have an uncomfortable question to ask,” Reina prefaced, and Sora gave a little nod for her to continue on. “It wasn’t my first time. But it was his. I haven’t been with a lot of guys, but I’ve done it enough - you know what I mean,” Reina groaned, dropping her head against her arms as her face began to burn even hotter. “With the guys I’ve been with, they’ve never kissed me after sex. Is that normal?” Reina asked, face still buried in her arms. “He did. He kissed me afterwards. I was almost in shock, that’s never happened. He hugged me, too. It was when we were laying down so it wasn’t, like, weird or anything, but he was still affectionate after getting… what he wanted? I’ve never experienced that before,” Reina said, talking as quickly as she could to get all the words out. Sora’s eyes widened a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, calm down,” Sora said, reaching across the table and grasping Reina’s clasped hands. “All this stress over a kiss?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Over a few kisses,” Reina argued sheepishly. “And the hug, and a night full of cuddling. He even kisses my head whenever he wakes up a little bit. If I feel him adjusting or moving in the night, he always leans down and gives me another kiss, even though he probably thinks I’m still asleep. He may even be asleep, it may be subconscious, I’m not sure,” she rambled, finally lifting her head to look up at Sora. The elder woman was wearing a soft smile as she watched Reina, and gently she squeezed the girl’s hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that might just mean he really likes you, Reina,” she reassured, and let out a tiny laugh at Reina’s slight grimace. “Which is a good thing. Bask in it. Enjoy it. It’s hard to come by.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Tropical Aqua Garden (34)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Four</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: On our way over, we should be there soon! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: I’m already ready, just let me know when you’re here :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next few weeks had gotten busy for the couple. Between their English class moving onto their next book for the year, their other classes getting heavier workloads, and Tamaki’s adventures between the arrival of Renge, the movie that the new French girl had produced for them, and the assistance he provided for Shiro, the two had only spent a few nights with each other. Though, those nights mostly consisted of helping each other with school work and then sleeping. Tamaki had taken a particular interest in Shiro’s desire to keep hold of a girl on the verge of moving, since he was going through something similar to that currently, so he had dove into that venture extra hard. Reina had upheld her new rule for the two and had refrained from staying school nights over at his house, so they normally dedicated their Friday or Saturday - or both - nights to each other. To make up for the time they missed together, Tamaki had invited her on the host’s excursion to the Tropical Aqua Garden. Since it was an excused day out of school, she had easily accepted the offer. She was wearing a simple white sundress and slid on her sandals, just as she got the text from Tamaki that they had arrived. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It seems unusually early to be going to a waterpark</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought to herself but she shrugged a little and walked out the doors, finding a limousine parked out front. Tamaki was standing on the side of it to hold the door open for her. She headed down the steps, giving him a thank you before climbing in and saying her hello to everyone, then glanced around the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Haruhi?” She asked as Tamaki climbed in and sat next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We still have to go get her,” he responded, as he pulled out his phone and let out a little sigh. “Still too early, though,” he noted. Everyone nodded a little, understanding the unspoken plan, leaving Reina out of the loop. She cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t ask, knowing she would hear about it soon enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if we have time to kill, we could run to the coffee shop around the corner. My treat,” Reina suggested, and Kyoya nodded, turning and giving the instructions to the driver quickly before turning back to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for that offer, I think that would be a sufficient use of our extra time,” Kyoya nodded to her, then pulled out his phone, beginning to type out a lengthy text. Within a few moments, a text came through Reina’s phone from an unknown number. Upon looking at it, she saw it was the coffee order of everyone in the club. “It would be a circus to pull this entire group into a small little store, so my suggestion would be to handle that on your own, with the help of someone to carry the drinks back out,” he said, adding a little emphasis on ‘someone’ as the majority of the group figured they could guess who would be the first to jump at the opportunity. Reina nodded slightly, choosing to add Kyoya’s number into her phone just as they pulled up to the shop. Reina climbed out of the car and glanced back to see Tamaki’s eyes still glued to his phone, waiting on the text from his lookout. The twins both jumped up and out of the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsk tsk, boss, you snooze you lose. We get to go in with Reina,” they said together, just as Tamaki’s head perked up and they slammed the car door on his flustered face. Reina let out a tiny little laugh, rolling her eyes at the twins, but turned on her heel and walked into the shop. The twins took their time, since they didn’t have to be the ones to say their lengthy order out loud, so Reina made it inside and to the counter much before they even made it to the front doors. Just as the twins opened up the door, Dai made his way to meet Reina at the counter and shot her a cool smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey pretty girl, what can I get for you?” He asked, leaning against the counter, his smile still intact. She gave him a tiny look at the new nickname, but laughed and pulled out her phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not gonna like me anymore after I tell you this hell of an order I’ve got for you, and I will be tipping this time,” she warned, glancing at him to make sure he was ready to receive the order. He laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That just means you get to hang around in this shop a little longer, my dear. That’s my tip,” he flirted softly, but upon seeing the twins join behind Reina, he straightened quickly. “Didn’t know you brought your older brothers in here,” he laughed nervously, giving them each a nod. Reina glanced back at the twins, who had been listening in, and once realizing that Dai must have been connecting them as siblings because of the red hair, she let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, they’re not -” she began to explain, but the twins each snaked one of their arms around her waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Older,” they finished for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re her younger brothers, and she was taking too long,” Kaoru said, both twins casting a little smirk down at her, before turning back to the man behind the counter, their expressions going back to serious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Though I don’t think that’s her fault,” Hikaru said simply, watching Dai intently. Kaoru took the phone from her hand and began to recite the list off rather quickly to the frazzled barista, who was quickly jotting it all down, not being given nearly enough time for him to even take a breath between his writing. As soon as Kaoru finished, Reina handed her card over sheepishly, giving him an apologetic little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And my regular. Sorry,” she said again as he let out a nervous little laugh, taking her card and quickly charged her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yours is on me,” he said, casting a little glance to each twin before looking back at her. “See you next time, Reina,” he said, before heading off to help his coworkers with the large order. The twins led her away from the ordering counter as she glanced up at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My new little brothers, how cute,” she mused, cocking an eyebrow at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were just saving you from that creep,” Hikaru said with a little grimace on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That dudes gotta be at least 30, what’s he doing hitting on a 17 year old?” Kaoru pointed out, and Reina rolled her eyes a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry little bros, but flirting is just a thing people do to get more business. Besides, 30? He’s like, 25 at most, I think. Not that it really matters, all he did was call me pretty,” she retorted, and they each scoffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was more than that,” Hikaru argued, and Kaoru nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Besides, what do you think the boss would say if he saw that?” Kaoru asked, and Reina crossed her arms, laughing slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’d hope he’d agree that I’m pretty,” she joked, to which she got a little eye roll back from the two boys. The drinks were starting to pile up on the handoff plane, so the three walked over and started to put them into the provided drink carriers. Reina’s was the last drink to come out, and as Dai handed it out, he sent a little wink her way as he pushed forward the side that had writing on it. As opposed to the normal ‘Reina’, he had opted to write ‘Pretty girl’ on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you next time. Maybe you should bring your brothers back again, I’ve got to get them on my good side,” he teased, sending a look off to the two twins who just rolled their eyes in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck with that,” they responded dryly, motioning for Reina to walk with them. She sent a little wave back to Dai before quickly following after the twins. “Tamaki’s going to freak if he sees your cup.” She rolled her eyes a little, but followed them back out to the car, opening the door for them since they were carrying all but her drink. Tamaki’s eyes were still glued to his phone, other than to shoot a single smile over at Reina as she sat back down. The twins handed out the drinks, keeping hold of theirs and the coffee they had gotten for the absent Haruhi. The car began to move, just as Tamaki got the long awaited text.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Men, Haruhi has entered the school! Our plan is set in motion, she’s being distracted at the gates as we speak!” He declared, getting a raised eyebrow from Reina but a thumbs up and a nod from everyone else. “A car is already there waiting for you boys,” he said, turning to the twins. “So pull her into that car and ride over with her. As soon as we drop you off, we’re headed straight to the park so Kyoya can make sure everything is in order,” he reiterated, and the twins simply nodded once more. They quickly pulled up to the school and the two boys hopped out, glancing at each other quickly, then turned back to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you later, pretty girl!” They mocked, and Reina rolled her eyes as Tamaki seemed to turn to stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you there, little brothers,” she said simply, shooing them away. They smirked a bit, knowing that they had stirred the pot and didn’t have to face those consequences as they were leaving, so they shut the door and ran off to find Haruhi. Tamaki blinked and glanced down to Reina. “The barista thought the twins were my brothers, and they ran with it,” she explained. Honey glanced over, and let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And that’s why they called you pretty girl! Because of your cup!” He pointed out, and Reina nodded a little bit with a smile. Tamaki glanced down at her beverage and bit his lip softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who wrote that?” He asked, and she looked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The barista. Hikaru and Kaoru were weird about it, but I told them it’s just a business tactic, just as much as it’s a business tactic to compliment your guests,” she explained with a shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s correct, the customer service is what continues to bring people back more than anything, even for the subpar beverages they provide,” Kyoya chimed in, after taking another sip of his ‘subpar’ drink. “Though, I’m sure the twins would be well aware of that fact, so the fact that they got worried about it leads me to believe that you’re withholding some information. What was this employee’s name?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need you doing a search on the poor guy, detective Kyoya,” Reina retorted, shooting him a look. “The twins just thought he was too old to be calling me pretty, and that’s it. They said he looked older than I actually think he is, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>either way</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it doesn’t matter, it’s business 101. They were just being weird.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re weird a lot,” Mori spoke up, getting a little laugh from Reina and Honey. Tamaki scowled softly at the conversation, but didn’t press it any further, just kept casting glances down at the writing on her cup. It wasn’t much longer before they arrived at their destination and the group climbed out as Kyoya began to speak to the only other person on the premises, who promptly unlocked the large gates, allowing them all entry inside. Reina peeked around with a widespread grin, admiring the detail in the park. They all made their way to the main area of the park, setting down their bags and beginning to unload some of their belongings while waiting for Hikaru and Kaoru to come with Haruhi. Not much longer after they arrived, the two twins came bounding towards them, dragging a limp Haruhi with them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mission complete!” They boasted, propping Haruhi up to her feet before letting go of her arms, and she let out a huff. Kyoya began to explain where they were, and that her absence was being excused for data purposes, so Haruhi seemed to calm a little more knowing she wasn’t just ditching school. The twins began to drag her away, off to change her into a swimsuit and out of her school uniform, but they stopped and glanced back at Reina. “You should come get one, too, we brought all of our mother’s newest designs!” They declared. She thought about it for a moment, ready to decline and change into the suit she had brought herself, but saw how uncomfortable Haruhi looked so quickly nodded and ran off with them. The twins shoved them both into the large room with two Hitachiin staff members waiting in front of rows upon rows of swimsuits, the majority of them being bikinis. Tamaki had quickly followed after the four to ensure that nothing weird was happening and was delighted to see the twins both waiting outside of the room - even if they were eavesdropping through the door. Reina glanced over at Haruhi, who seemed to be flustered over all the options that the staff members were throwing their way, so she rested her hand on Haruhi’s arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, they’re not all so bad. It’s hot out there, you’re not going to want to stay in your uniform all day, even if they let you,” Reina pointed out, giving Haruhi a little smile. “I see a few one pieces - oh, look,” she said, pointing to one. “Here’s one that’s shorts instead of a regular bikini bottom, would that be better?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Haruhi finally said, looking back at the options. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would you be most comfortable in?” Reina asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to pick, I’d say a one piece,” she finally huffed, and Reina gave a little smile to the staff members. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you run us through the one piece options for her?” She asked, and they gave a little nod as they began to retrieve all the options they had. “Hey, that pink one would look good, and it doesn’t cut down too low either. Plus it had a little skirt part for more coverage!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s real girly,” Haruhi mumbled, and Reina laughed a bit with a nod. “But I still think it’s the best of the bunch,” she agreed, and Reina smiled as Haruhi hesitantly took the piece and walked into one of the provided changing rooms. The staff members turned to Reina, holding an abundance of pieces in their arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a preference?” One of them asked, and Reina shook her head a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I assume you’re used to picking things out for people, so go ahead, I don’t mind any of them,” she said, before glancing over and pointing to one. “Except that one. I need more than a few little strings.” The two women smiled and cast that one aside, before turning to look at Reina once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Undress,” the second girl said. Reina’s eyes widened a little. “Just the dress. We see everything, don’t be shy.” She furrowed her eyebrows together, but did as she was told. “Oh! Perfect, we could put anything on that body!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think her breasts might be a little too large for our strapless pieces. Unless, she wants to run that risk, it might make her day a little more exciting,” the first girl sang the last part, and Reina let out a little laugh. Tamaki, who had joined in on the twin’s eavesdropping, scoffed a little, growing angry at the idea of her top falling down in front of any of the other hosts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Veto the strapless then, I don’t need any more excitement,” she said simply, and they nodded. Her words made Tamaki sigh a breath of relief from behind the doors. Haruhi pulled the curtains back, her eyes going wide at the almost naked Reina, preparing to apologize but Reina shook her head before Haruhi could get to it. “It’s fine, everything important is covered. That looks really good on you, Haruhi! If you want, I’ll meet you out there,” she offered, but Haruhi shook her head, looking away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can wait, we can go out together,” she said, and Reina simply nodded, turning back to the staff women who had dove into conversation on which to pick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This one will be perfect,” the staff member on the left said, setting all the others aside, and the woman on the right nodded, holding up a skimpy, neon green bikini up to Reina. “We put the twins in green so often, it looks so good with the hair!” She gushed, taking Reina by the shoulders and turning her around, unclasping her bra. Reina jumped a little, her arms hugging around her breasts to keep the bra from coming off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I can dress myself from here, promise,” she said quickly, but the woman pulled her bra off despite the struggle and shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense! It’ll be quick. Don’t get shy on us now,” the other woman said, grabbing the band to Reina’s underwear and pulling them down, allowing Reina to step out of them. Tamaki’s eyes widened at the words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you two doing? Stop them,” he hissed under his breath to the twins, but they just shrugged back at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They dress us, it’s fine,” the twins whispered in unison, going back to pressing their ears against the door. The two women quickly dressed the red faced Reina, even adjusting her breasts to look the best they could in the top, before they each took a step back and gushed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perfect! Maybe we should make the suggestion to Mrs. Hitachiin about sending a photographer in here for some quick promo, for both these girls!” One of them said, turning to look at Haruhi, who promptly shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll skip, thanks,” she mumbled. Reina smiled back at the two staff members. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for your help, and if Mrs. Hitachiin is looking for that, I’d be happy to help out while I’m here. You’ll know where to find us,” she said with a smile and a little nod their way, before turning back to Haruhi. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said as they made their way to the door. The three boys jumped out of the way as quickly as they could, in order to not get caught, and the two girls emerged. Tamaki’s eyes widened at the sight of both of them, two separate feelings rising as he stared at them. On one hand, he looked over Reina and only felt a strong arousal, a desire to spend the rest of the day with her. Then, glancing over at Haruhi, he felt the strong paternal instinct to steal her away from the rest of the group, to hide her from all the rest of the perverts around. He blinked, his face turning an alarming shade of red. Reina cocked an eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything as she began to walk back over to the main group, the twins slowly trailing after her. Haruhi stayed put, as did Tamaki. Slowly, Tamaki held out the bright yellow jacket for Haruhi, looking away from her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’d be more comfortable with this,” was all he said, eyes cast down towards the ground. Hikaru and Kaoru both glanced back, and Hikaru let out a little groan, charging forward to match Reina’s pace. Kaoru watched the interaction for another moment, of Haruhi taking the jacket and thanking Tamaki, before following to catch up with the other two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, why don’t you go control your boyfriend?” Hikaru finally asked. She stopped in her tracks, looking up at him before glancing back, catching Haruhi pulling the jacket over her head, and Tamaki still stuck in a blushed state. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well first of all, not my boyfriend, so jot that down,” she responded, looking back at Hikaru to see his angered expression. Reina looked over at Kaoru, who had made it over to her other side. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Does he like Haruhi?’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>she mouthed over to him. Kaoru blinked, and glanced up at Hikaru, who seemed to be getting more and more angry as the time went on, and he finally gave Reina a little nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My plan of keeping her out of the loop is going to be a failure if Hikaru was going to be so obvious about it, so may as well let the cat out of the bag now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he figured. She thought about it for a moment, before turning to Hikaru. “But I get it. You seem to like getting under his skin, do you want to help me make him jealous by coming over and sitting with me? I’m sure that would make you feel better, pissing him off,” she pointed out. His angry demeanor soon shifted, and he smirked a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what? Yeah, I do. Kaoru, stick around them so you can tell us how he reacts,” Hikaru said to Kaoru, who gave a little hesitant nod and glanced down at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll meet you wherever you pick, Hikaru, I’m just gonna grab my phone really quick,” Reina said, watching as Hikaru nodded and bounded off to some lounger chairs. She turned to Kaoru as she made her way back over to where she left her stuff. “Just trust me. I won’t rat you out,” she reassured him, grabbing her bag and swinging it over her shoulder. “I’ll try to help. Just do me a favor, don’t actually let Tamaki get too mad, I’m not actually trying to make him jealous or anything. I’ve seen him upset, nobody needs a ruined day,” she laughed a little bit, heading to leave, but Kaoru stopped her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I don’t think Hikaru knows that he likes her,” he said quickly, and Reina nodded softly. “So you have to be strategic if you’re going to try and help him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t doubt my abilities, Kaoru. I may not know you two super well, but I think I know enough to navigate it,” she smiled up at him, waiting until he gave a nod of approval before she clutched onto her bag and bounded off to Hikaru. He was sitting on the end of the lounger chair, facing towards the rest of the group and his feet firmly pressed against the ground, so after setting her bag down, she sat at the other end of it, laying back against it and bending her legs so her feet were right next to his legs. “You said boyfriend, does he talk about us as if we’re dating?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell else would you call it?” He asked, and she shrugged a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a phrase in America, though I don’t know if it’s strongly used out here. Friends with benefits. All the benefits of a relationship, but no labels or obligations or anything,” she said simply, lifting her chin to look up at the sky and closed her eyes, allowing her neck to get some sun. Hikaru scowled a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What even is the point of that, then? Why not just date? It doesn’t make sense,” he retorted, and she laughed a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Freedom,” she said softly, deciding not to elaborate on it any further. He watched her for a few moments before setting his hands behind him, resting back on them. “I’ve disclosed with him that I don’t want anything exclusive, and although he’s told me that he isn’t interested in spending time with any other girls recreationally, he’s allowed to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think it’s a little selfish to date two people at once?” He rolled his eyes, and she peeked at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, I’m not dating anyone, not one or two, or anymore, people. I’ve been here for less than three months, don’t you think it’s a little selfish to expect me to pick a person and call it that? And besides that, wouldn’t it be the same situation for you, who technically talked to dozens of girls every week in your club?” She pointed out, and he thought about it for a moment before groaning and shrugging. “You know I’m right. But you know who I don’t spend time with? People who are already taken. So if you really want to piss off Tamaki, be his competition.” He blinked, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would never spend my time with someone in a romantic or sexual way if they were already exclusively talking to or dating someone else. If he wanted to hang out with other girls, I’m more than certain that he would go by those same guidelines. You jumped at the opportunity to piss off Tamaki by sitting over here with me, and just earlier you told me to go control him when he was talking to Haruhi,” she pointed out, opening her eyes to look back at Hikaru, who was staring at her with wide eyes. “So, if you think it’s selfish for someone to talk to more than one person, be his competition and take Haruhi on a date.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do that,” he argued quickly, and she cocked an eyebrow, pulling her knees to her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not?” She responded simply, and he blinked. “Best case scenario, you two have the best date of your lives and go on others. Worst case scenario, you spend a night at a restaurant or at a movie with a friend, and you make Tamaki annoyed in the process. You don’t even have to phrase it as a date, just offer to hang out with her.” He furrowed his eyebrows together and glanced out at the water in thought. “You can make Tamaki jealous in one of two ways, by hanging out with me or hanging out with her, since that seems like his two interests. May as well take out the potential competition, as opposed to sitting with the one he’s already had, right?” Hikaru was silent for a few more moments, before turning back to Reina with a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re kinda crazy,” he pointed out. “But I like it. It’s a good idea. Can I ask a question, though?” He asked, and she nodded a little. “You didn’t get jealous at all, when you saw him blushing over Haruhi? Or when you see him with other girls?” She smiled softly, sitting back against the chair and cast a glance over at where Tamaki was. Kaoru, as Reina suggested, was clearly trying to talk him out of whatever rampage he was going off about. She turned back to Hikaru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He and I won’t get married. It’s just one of those facts, high school relationships don’t normally work, especially under the weird circumstances. A lot of high school relationships stem more from just wanting to have fun, and that’s what I’m doing. If in the process of my fun, he finds someone who he thinks could be his wife, I would feel nothing but guilt if I kept him from that with my jealousy. It just makes sense to take a more relaxed stance on relationships, for someone in my position,” she said, then smiled a little. “I’m only promoting the sabotage with Haruhi because I could never see them working, marriage or otherwise,” she laughed a bit, trying to come up with a lie on the spot that didn’t involve any of Hikaru’s feelings towards her. He furrowed his eyebrows again, pulling his knees up to his chest as she did, wrapping one arm around them while the other kept him in his leaned back position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you so sure that you two wouldn’t work out?” He asked, watching her. She sucked the side of her cheek and glanced out at the water, thinking of her next response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I’m not,” she finally said, smiling a little and shrugging. “But I’m not sure we would, either. I don’t really picture myself getting married in general. So isn’t it a little better to allow him the freedom to keep an eye out for someone who he might definitely work out with?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you heard the way he talked about you in passing, I think you would be more sure,” he responded softly. She sat, a little taken back for a moment, before smiling softly. “I guess that might be why it all seems so weird to me, why you wouldn’t just put a label on it. Why he looks at Haruhi like that,” he admitted, trailing off after the last sentence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then do me the biggest favor and go on a date with my competition so I have a little more time to figure all that out,” she said with a little wink his way. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. A Bet and A Wave (35)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Ch</span>
    <span>apter Thirty Five</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki’s knee continued to bounce in annoyance, even as he tried to relax, per Kaoru’s request. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why the hell is Kaoru being so cryptic about why they’re sitting together? Does Hikaru like Reina? We’re not technically together, so I couldn’t stop her from pursuing anything, although I would want to. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaoru glanced over at the irritated blonde and let out a little huff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you stop? You’re annoying me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s annoying me!” Tamaki nearly yelled, though nobody really paid attention to his outburst. Whether it was because they were too far away from him to have truly heard or just simply because they didn’t care was undetermined. Kaoru rolled his eyes before closing them again as he laid his head back against the chair. “Is he going to try and take her from me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss, please, just shut up,” Kaoru pleaded, his voice growing more annoyed, but Tamaki didn’t notice. He jumped up, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go break them apart, I’m going to go throw him in the water, I’m going to go take Reina home, I’m gonna do something!” He announced, and Kaoru shot up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, sit back down,” he demanded, his voice the most serious that Tamaki had ever heard before. With wide eyes, Tamaki did as he was told, watching Kaoru. “Hikaru doesn’t like her. Get over yourself, we’re not going to steal your girlfriend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s not my girlfriend,” he quickly corrected, and Kaoru shot him daggers with his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then it doesn’t matter if he did like her. Like I just said, get over yourself,” he spit out, and Tamaki went silent. Kaoru watched him for a few more moments, before sighing softly. He thought back to the conversation he and Connor had in the aquarium. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not his choosing that they’re not dating, I have to try to remember that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“He doesn’t. They’re just hanging out, relaxing, enjoying the day like the rest of us. Is it so weird that they would just want to hang out?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to enjoy the day with her,” Tamaki admitted, the anger in his voice now turning somber, to which Kaoru sighed just a bit more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think they’re going to spend the entire time together, so just lighten up until it’s your turn,” he responded, trying to be as gentle as he could, but Tamaki once again tossed his words aside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not just that. It’s weird to see you two apart. I never saw that last year, or even before that, and now this is the second time that you two have spent time apart,” Tamaki pointed out. “Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing you two on your own and being your own people. The circumstances just feel weird to me, both the times. Hikaru with two different girls,” Tamaki pondered out loud, and Kaoru frowned as he watched his little secret plan start unraveling. Kaoru also took into account just how confused and sad Tamaki looked in that moment, and for another few seconds, took pity on the second year. “My girls,” Tamaki finally finished, and Kaoru lost all sympathy, narrowing his eyes at the boy in front of him still in thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and Reina have a little thing going on, and I can take you being a little protective over her, but leave Haruhi out of it. Unless you plan to date her, too,” Kaoru said, and Tamaki’s face burned bright. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never! I could never date Haruhi, she’s like my daughter,” he started, but Kaoru shook his head a little, cutting him off promptly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nobody believes that weird daddy act. You can’t be weird like that. Reina is dating other guys from the sounds of it, so it makes sense that she wasn’t jealous earlier, but you don’t get to hold two different girls away from other people,” Kaoru said, and Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would Reina have gotten jealous earlier?” Tamaki asked, and Kaoru let out a groan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re helpless, boss. The weird little jacket act you put on earlier with Haruhi. And don’t get me started on when you were too busy waiting on the text from our lookout on when to get Haruhi in the car, so you ignored Reina, so Hikaru and I went into the coffee shop with her,” Kaoru began to list off, Tamaki’s eyes widening with each word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So that’s why she’s with Hikaru! I’ve been neglecting her, and she’s jealous!” He said, as if a lightbulb just went off, and Kaoru let out another little groan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Helpless - no, hopeless. Just hopeless,” he said, draping an arm over his eyes. “She’s not jealous,” he said, but then thought about it for a moment, and pulled his arm away, peeking out at Tamaki. “Unless, she is?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows, thinking back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe the Hikaru act was also benefiting her? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki’s eyes were wide and glossed over. Before either of them could say another word, Hikaru walked up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” He asked simply, taking a seat in the third lounger, oblivious to the new tension. Both of them looked at him with wide eyes as he relaxed into the chair, closing his eyes and beginning to bask in the sunlight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Reina?” Kaoru asked, taking the words from Tamaki’s mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom did end up sending a photographer over, so they’re getting a few pictures of her in the bikini. I should have known she wouldn’t have said no to a free model,” Hikaru mused, still not opening his eyes. Tamaki and Kaoru exchanged a glance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, where did they go?” Kaoru asked calmly, and Hikaru shrugged a single shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How should I know? Somewhere pretty for pictures, I guess,” he responded, then opened one eye, a small smirk on his face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just because Reina is gone doesn’t mean that I have to stop pissing the boss off</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. “The photographer said mom gave him one demand: sexy.” In a second, Tamaki had jumped to his feet and bounded off, trying to find Reina. Kaoru let out a little huff, turning to Hikaru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I should go with him, I’ll be back,” he said softly to his twin before heading off to catch up with Tamaki. “Hey, boss! Slow down,” Kaoru called, finally meeting up with him. “Don’t freak out, I’m sure they'll be done soon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure they will be, and I’ll be there to spend the rest of the day with her once they are,” Tamaki said simply, continuing his fast pace. “I made her jealous by accident, I can’t imagine how badly she’s feeling with the way I’ve treated her today.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we’re overthinking this,” Kaoru suggested, but sighed when Tamaki didn’t respond. They both skidded to a stop as Reina and the male photographer came into view, doing exactly as Hikaru had warned. Reina was on her knees, sand strategically stuck to her thighs, and the photographer was posing her in different risque positions. The two were far enough from the pair to not be heard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are these pictures being used?” Tamaki asked, voice low as they both moved behind a building to watch without being seen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Various ads, I’m not too sure,” Kaoru said with a little laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “But they may not even make the cut! Don’t worry about it, boss!” They watched as the photographer moved towards Reina, moving her hair to frame her face more, then his hand moved down and - in a very professional way - moved the strap of her bikini top further onto her shoulder before backing away and taking a few more pictures. Tamaki gasped, taking a step to go and stop the whole ordeal, but Kaoru stopped him. “Be calm, we’re here if it goes too far.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> too far,” Tamaki hissed, trying to get out of Kaoru’s grasp on his arm, but Kaoru simply rolled his eyes and tightened his hold. “I could have bought a camera and taken those myself.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get a photography degree, then,” Kaoru retorted with yet another eyeroll. They watched as the photographer nodded softly, stepping back a little bit and began to look into his camera, making sure he got a few good options. Reina relaxed, sitting back down and crossing her legs, resting back on the palms of her hands and looking out at the water as she waited. The photographer glanced up at her, then did a quick double take before dropping down to his knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay just like that!” He called out. Reina jumped a little bit at the sound of his voice, but quickly relaxed again and stayed entirely put, aside from sucking in her stomach slightly. “Perfect, this looks great. Okay, look at me,” he said, and she turned her head to look at him, her head slightly tilted a little, her hair falling over her shoulder gracefully. “This is so natural. Give me a little bit of sadness,” he ordered, and she thought about it for a short moment, her eyes growing a newfound sadness as she looked back up at the photographer. Tamaki watched intently, furrowing his eyebrows as he watched the photographer order her into new positions, Reina now laying against the sand, her knees bent and one hand on her stomach. “Look up at the sky,” he said, then after a few moments, he continued. “Look back at me, and give me those sad eyes again!” She did as she was told, her lips going into her natural pout, only accentuating the look he was going for. “Perfect! I know we got more than enough. Yuzuha is going to die over these,” he grinned, standing back up and turning to Reina. “Thank you for your time, and look out for your pictures! I’m sure Yuzuha will reach out to you, or have one of her sons do it for her.” Reina sat back up and gave him a little smile and a thanks before the photographer promptly left. She, however, stayed put and started to dust the sand off her body, still gazing out at the water as she did so. Kaoru glanced up at the ansty second year and gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna go back to Hikaru, you go ahead,” Kaoru smiled softly. Tamaki gave a little nod back before stepping out from behind their hiding spot and heading off towards Reina.  She had gotten the majority of the sand off her body by the time she had noticed his arrival, and she sent him a little grin, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Having fun?” She asked. He gave a little nod as he moved next to her, taking a seat in the sand by her side. “That’s good,” she smiled his way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’d your photoshoot go?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weird. I thought those staff members were just trying to be kind when they mentioned that idea, like as a compliment or something. Had I known they were serious, I probably would have opted out like Haruhi did,” she laughed. “The photographer seemed fairly enthusiastic about the pictures though. I still don’t know what they plan to do with any of them, hopefully scrape them or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would be dumb to have wasted your beauty on tossing them,” he said softly, looking down on her. “I doubt you’ll get that wish.” She gave a little shrug and looked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What have you been up to while I was having all that fun?” She teased, and he gave a big grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve only been with Kaoru, and that’s it!” He declared. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I haven’t even been with Haruhi at all today, other than when I was helping her wear more clothes, so she shouldn’t get any more jealous than she already is</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Tamaki thought to himself confidently. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly at the enthusiasm in his voice, trying to see if she could detect any more from his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pardon?” She asked, looking for more clarification on the question in her mind, but he had none to give. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not,” she finally elaborated, which made him give an even bigger grin her way. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s in shock, I must have wounded her badly with how I’ve acted today. But I’m proving just how good I can be</span>
  </em>
  <span>! “Why haven’t you been with anyone else? You should be having fun with your friends.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was waiting to spend time with you,” he said, still thinking he was winning points in her eyes, but she frowned back and stood quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, I can come spend time with you and your friends both. No need to isolate ourselves,” she responded, holding a hand out for him. He pressed his eyebrows together, but took her hand and stood as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind just spending time with you,” he told her as they began to walk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but we spend time on our own every weekend. It’s Friday, I figured we would spend more time together tonight,” she pointed out. “It doesn’t seem like you get to relax with just the hosts very often, not without girls around, and you don’t have to treat me like you would a guest. I’m capable of spending time on my own.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t want you to have to spend time on your own, especially when I’m around,” he argued, looking down at her. “What do you mean, treat you like a guest?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just meant you don’t have to try and entertain me all the time,” she explained, smiling back up at him, as they made their way back over to the group. “You have your own life and your own friends, and I’m happy to be a part of it, but you don’t have to go out of your way to make me feel included. I like you and your group,” she admitted, giving him a grin, but he simply blinked in response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s asking me </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>not</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> to entertain her? Is this like a weird version of the silent treatment? “Leave me alone”? Or is she being serious? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wondered as they continued to walk silently. Once they made their way back to everyone, she squeezed his hand softly. “I know you’re probably just trying to make me feel comfortable, and I appreciate it, but go have fun, Tamaki,” she smiled, then caught a glimpse of the scene behind him and let out a little laugh. “Looks like you’re about to be busy, anyway,” she mused, quickly moving away from him as he turned around, faced with the twins each pointing a water gun at him. Another one had been placed almost right as his feets, and both the twins nodded down at it to make him look at it, but he just rolled his eyes slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not doing that,” he said simply to the pair of redheads. They both shrugged a bit, keeping their guns upheld towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine, we’ll get bored of shooting you eventually if you’re not fighting back,” Kaoru said simply, and Hikaru smirked a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Besides, we have a little bet going anyway, and you’re not included, since you wouldn’t win anyway,” Hikaru noted, lifting the water gun even higher threateningly. Tamaki cocked an eyebrow, curiosity settling in about their bet. “Last one to get wet wins a date with the girl here of their choice.” Tamaki’s eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Neither of them would agree to go on a date with either of you,” he swiftly pointed out. Kaoru rested his free hand on his hip, turning to Reina, who had gotten herself comfortable in a lounging chair but was still listening in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you agree to that bet?” Kaoru asked, and Reina laughed a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like a good bet, so sure,” she mused. Tamaki bit the inside of his cheek, but took on a new determination as he took the spare water gun into his hand, pumping it up swiftly, giving the twins both a nod. Kaoru turned his attention to Haruhi, who was already lifting her hands up in preparation to say no. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I can find a way to cut some of your debt, should you agree,” Kyoya called from the table he sat at, which stopped Haruhi in her tracks, and she finally sighed and gave a little defeated nod. All three boys, with the bet set in stone, spread out from each other before counting down from three, which was their cue to begin to attack one another. Each spray of water seemed to hardly miss each guy, every single one of them dodging the other’s attacks. Tamaki was working the hardest since the twins seldom shot at each other. Kaoru noticed a shot that was headed straight for Hikaru, looking like it was going to hit him, so Kaoru quickly jumped in front of it to ensure their plan would continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One out!” Tamaki celebrated, not taking any consideration into why Kaoru would have sacrificed himself for Hikaru as he immediately repumped his water gun and Kaoru made his way off the battleground. He made his way over to Reina’s chair and sat on the ground beside it, resting his back against the side of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good plan,” she said softly to Kaoru as they watched the other two continue. “Though, what happens if Tamaki wins?” He turned his head back to look at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We discussed that, Hikaru is still going to ask for a runner up prize if he loses,” Kaoru noted, and Reina nodded a little bit. “Tamaki picks you, and Hikaru picks Haruhi as the runner up prize. I’m sure she’ll find a way to get offended for being second place prize, but it’s the only plan we have for now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And if Tamaki picks Haruhi, what happens? Is Hikaru going to be hurt?” She asked. Kaoru stared up at her for a moment, glancing back at the water gun battle for a moment before turning his body to sit in the middle of the fight and the girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not going to happen,” he said confidently, then cocked an eyebrow. “But if it did, would you be hurt?” He asked, leaning back against his palms. She blinked a few times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she said, though the word didn’t come out as confidently as she had thought it would. “I wouldn’t. Really. But I would feel bad for Hikaru in that situation.” Kaoru watched her a little longer, before letting a little chuckle out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So she might be jealous, but maybe it’s more subconscious. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He nodded softly, and went to speak again, but the sound of a crash made them both jump. Tamaki, in an attempt to get out of a stream of water, had collided with a large wooden totem pole - and, also got hit by the water he had been trying to avoid in the first place. Reina got to her feet quickly, about to rush over to make sure he was okay, but was cut off by the sound of water crashing against itself. She looked off in the direction it was coming from, watching the large wave appearing from what seemed like thin air and towards the wave pool near them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What the fuck is happening?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She asked in English, then her heart dropped as she realized. “Honey!” She yelled, turning to the small boy who had still been in the wave pool, immediately breaking out in a run towards the water and preparing to dive in for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, don’t!” Kaoru yelled, immediately rushing after her. Behind them, Mori began to sprint towards Honey as well. As he passed by Reina, he grabbed hold of her arm and tugged her back, letting Kaoru catch her as he continued his sprint. He made it a few more steps before slipping on some water that had been splashed onto the ground, crashing down just as the wave swept up a shell-shocked Honey, sending him further down the park and out of sight. Reina pulled herself back up from Kaoru’s grasp and ran to Mori, dropping down quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” She asked quickly, resting her hand on his shoulder. The rest of the club made their way over to assist Mori. He swiftly pulled himself to his knees, head turning towards where Honey had disappeared off to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He can swim, he’ll be okay,” Tamaki quickly reassured, watching as Reina calmed slightly. “We’ll go find him now! Come on,” he declared, pointing in a direction. “This would be the fastest way!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But not the wisest,” Kyoya informed the crew, nodding off to a lone alligator in the direction they had been planning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, this way would be fine,” Hikaru said, leading the group in a separate direction, but stopping in his tracks as he saw two more alligators. “What the hell? Why didn’t we see any of these before?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The best, and only safe way, is probably going to be this way,” Kyoya said, hastily leading the group in the direction that seemed to be void of any alligators. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably safe, or probably best?” Haruhi called out, though got no response back from Kyoya. They all followed, leaving behind all of their belongings in the chase. They continued onto the path for a while, before the rain began, and Tamaki ushered everyone into a little hut in the middle of the jungle atmosphere they found themselves in. Mori headed off to the far side of the hut, looking out in silence. Haruhi and Kyoya both stood near Mori, accepting the quiet side of the hut, but Reina looked around, then turned to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so confused, it’s just a little rain. Why are we waiting it out?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re wearing literally no clothes, and would get sick after a minute,” Hikaru pointed out, as if it were obvious. She rolled her eyes and took a few steps to step out of the hut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely wouldn’t,” she argued. “But if that’s true for me, then it’s true for Honey as well, so we need to go find him.” Both Kaoru and Tamaki reached out, grabbing one of her arms and tugging her back into the shelter, just as she had taken one step into the rain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The likelihood of it raining where Honey landed is very slim. This park is designed to replicate the atmosphere it’s modeled after, but not for the same length,” Kyoya explained. “We’re in a rainforest atmosphere, so after a few more minutes, the rain will subside. Our best plan of action would be to figure out where we think he is so once the rain ends we aren’t running aimlessly.” Kyoya pulled a map of the park that he had tucked away on his person, and silently began to look over it, finally pointing to a spot. “I’m thinking here. It’s where the wave pool ends, so as long as he just stayed put, he should be there. Excuse me,” he said, pulling out his phone and began to dial up his police force, stepping to the side and away from the group to speak in peace. Tamaki and the twins each turned to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you going to jump in?” Tamaki asked, and Reina simply nodded. “That wouldn’t have been safe, Reina.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was I supposed to do? I didn’t think Honey could swim, he was wearing a floaty,” she shot back, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but any of us could have jumped in to get him,” Kaoru pointed out, and Reina cocked an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could have gotten hurt,” Tamaki said softly, but Reina only seemed to get annoyed at it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you want me to ask you guys if you would do it instead? Should I have turned around to get a head count of all the men who were planning to dive in?” She asked, blinking at them as if it were obvious. “I was closest, and we had about five seconds to make a move, it only made sense for me to try.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you had made it, the only difference would be that we would now be searching for the both of you,” Hikaru responded, and Reina stared back at him in disbelief. Tamaki and Kaoru exchanged glances - obviously, they both agreed, but they both had been smart enough to not jump in any further.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s awfully misogynistic of you,” she pointed out. The rain had already ended, and Mori and Haruhi had already left in their own search during their argument, though nobody involved in the debate had noticed either fact. “Like I said, I was under the impression that he couldn’t swim, so he could have been really badly hurt had he not known how to. I don’t think it’s fair to gatekeep who can and cannot help, especially based on gender.” Hikaru let out a little groan, crossing his own arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What an American,” Hikaru mumbled, the other two boys watching as Reina seemed to visibly get more annoyed.  “It’s just biology, men are stronger and faster than women. Do you even think you could have kept him above the water?” He asked, and Reina narrowed her eyes at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, maybe we should change the conversation,” Kaoru offered, glancing between the two fired up redheads. Reina opened her mouth to respond, but furrowed her eyebrows and looked around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rain stopped,” she said simply, her tone still angry, turning on her heel and walking away from the three men surrounding her. She cast a glance back, then stopped in her tracks. “Where are Haruhi and Mori?” She asked, all previous frustration in her being cast away as she noticed the missing members of their group. Kyoya, who had just finished his phone call, let out a little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well hopefully they went off in the direction that I had said, so we should head that way to meet up with them,” he said, taking the initiative and stepping out and next to Reina, the two walking side by side. The remaining three followed shortly behind, but seeing as Reina made no attempt to walk by any of them, they stayed further back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You idiot, why’d you have to go and make her mad, huh?” Tamaki hissed under his breath, watching as Reina and Kyoya silently walked ahead of them. Hikaru crossed his arms and rolled his eyes again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing I said was incorrect, and everyone knows it,” he simply said. “Not my fault girls are so sensitive.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are all your friends just as sexist, or did I just find myself in an odd conversation?” Reina asked Kyoya quietly as they continued to walk. He glanced over at her, then looked behind his shoulder to see Tamaki intently watching them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not a strong topic of conversation around here, at least not if I can help it, so I couldn’t tell you,” he said with a tiny little shrug and a smile. “Though, I can’t say I would doubt it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting. I wonder if it has to do with how you all spend your free time,” she thought out loud, and when she caught Kyoya’s glance, she continued. “With the girls. I feel like the guys back there thrive off of being the manly types, whereas it seems like the certain kind of girl who regularly attends the host club seems like the dainty type who thrive off of being taken care of, even if it’s just momentarily in their hour time slot. Do you think my assumption is correct?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s definitely an interesting theory,” Kyoya said, but gave a little nod. “I’m sure it doesn’t help, but I don’t think that type of thinking can be constructed over just a few years. The question then turns into something similar to whether the egg or the chicken comes first. Did they gain those ideologies while joining the club, or do they supposedly thrive because they have those feelings all along? Nobody could tell. That is, if they actually do have sexist opinions.” Reina nodded as well, looking over at him as they walked. “You seem to have a lot of opinions about the host club. Are all of them your own?” He asked coolly, and somehow, she immediately knew what he was referring to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How snarky,” she commented, but had a little smirk on her face. “All of </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> opinions are my own, though it would be very hypocritical of you to imply that it wouldn’t be wise of me to take other people's opinions into consideration. Similar to what you told me about how information is easy to obtain - opinions and thoughts are even easier, if you try,” she explained, then glanced over at Kyoya who was wearing a similar smirk. “If you must know, the majority of my opinions regarding the host club are actually pretty good.” His smirk turned into a soft little smile as he pushed his glasses up. “Aside from that last conversation, but I think I can forget about it for now - mostly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good to hear, I’ll make a note of that,” he said, getting a little laugh out of Reina. Almost simultaneously, they each glanced back at Tamaki, Kaoru, and Hikaru, who were silently just watching the pair, clearly trying to listen in. “They’re stupid, but mean well. I’ll admit, I didn’t catch the majority of your conversation, but I can only assume it sprouted off of good intentions.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it pains you to miss out on information, huh?” Reina mused, looking back at Kyoya, just as they reached the end of the wave pool. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I find out everything, in good time. I don’t mind missing it in the moment,” he simply responded as he scanned the grounds in front of them, then turned to face the three behind them. “So they’re not here, meaning either Haruhi and Mori already found Honey and brought him back to our original meeting spot, or the two ventured off somewhere else. While you all were preoccupied, I made a call to my police force, so they should be here at this point assisting us on the search.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now that I think about it, though, I don’t think I mentioned anyone else was here, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kyoya glanced around the group. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Should be fine, I’d think. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So does that mean we should go back to where we started? Or back to the hut?” Reina asked, focus directed at Kyoya, who began to think over the options.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I know Mori, he probably went in the opposite direction,” Kaoru pointed out, getting a little nod from everyone else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So maybe we should split up?” Tamaki suggested, glancing over at Reina, who gave him a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if we went back the way we came, then we would end up back at the hut. Some of us could stay there, in case they came back there later. Others can split off in a separate direction to possibly meet up with them,” Kyoya mapped out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go back to the original spot we were at in case they go back there, I’ll just follow the wave pool back to there,” Reina confirmed, getting a look from all of them. “There shouldn’t be any animals on the path I’m taking. If I group up with any of you, I wouldn’t be able to help any of you in any danger, since girls are dumb and weak and all,” Reina said with a little shrug, dramatically glancing down at her nails. Kyoya was clearly the only one to find any amusement out of her comment, a little smirk growing on the corner of one side of his lips. “I know Kyoya has his phone at least, and mine is back there, so just call me when you find everyone, or I’ll call you if they’re there,” she nodded to Kyoya, who simply gave her a nod back and the two began to walk in opposite directions. The twins looked over at Tamaki, who looked like he was deep in thought, before turning to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck,” he said to them before quickly running to catch up with Reina. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Tamaki's Decorating (36)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Six</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Tamaki called out as he made his way to Reina. She glanced back at him, stopping in place to allow him to catch up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you were supposed to go with them,” she reminded, but he shook his head, grabbing onto her hand and continued to walk with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be fine, I wanted to come with you,” he smiled softly, glancing down at her. She looked up at him for a moment before turning forward and continuing to walk silently. “I don’t think you needed me to, but I wanted to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she responded with a little nod. Once they made it back to all their original tables, Reina grabbed her phone from her bag and sat in a chair at a small table, pulling her knees up as she opened her phone to check through it. The only thing she had was a text from Emica, wondering why she was absent with Tamaki and Kyoya, but she decided to just address it later. “It feels dumb to just sit around and wait, especially for both of us. I can still call Kyoya and see where they’re at.” Tamaki shook his head softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Between Mori and Haruhi, Kyoya and the twins, and the police force, nobody will be searching for much longer. It’s smarter for us to stay here, otherwise we might get lost since Kyoya’s the one that has the map,” he rationalized, and after a long moment of thought, Reina finally nodded a little and glanced back down at her phone. “I’m sorry the day ended like this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind, I just hope he’s okay,” she said softly. He nodded a little, sending a smile her way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s okay, I know it. He’s stronger than you might think,” he reassured, and Reina bit the inside of her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ironic, given the previous conversation, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. “Hey, what do you want to do tonight? Do you want to go anywhere?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing anything tonight,” she paused before glancing up at him, getting a shocked expression sent back at her, and she smirked. “If I saw correctly, it looked like Hikaru won that bet. Meaning he gets to go on a date, not you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care about the bet, I was going to go out with you either way,” he quickly pointed out, but shortly after his words realized she was joking and cracked a smile. “Ha, very funny.” Quickly, though, his face fell. “You’re not actually going to go on a date with him if he picks you, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A bets a bet, Tama,” she sang, setting her phone on the table. “But I have a sneaky suspicion that you won’t have to worry about that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think he’s going to pick Haruhi?” He asked, a little twinge of emotion in his voice, but Reina couldn’t quite detect what it was. She shrugged a little bit, hugging her legs harder to her chest and resting her chin against her knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a suspicion, like I said. Who would you prefer he picked?” She asked innocently, and he blinked a few times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Neither, obviously,” he simply said, scowling a little bit at the idea. “I don’t want anyone other than me having your time - especially him, but I also don’t want him going on a date with my little girl. Daddy wouldn’t allow it,” he quickly added, shaking his head. She cocked an eyebrow at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daddy, as in you?” She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. He didn’t respond right away, so she let out a little laugh. “I didn’t know you had a daddy kink. You should have told me,” she mused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not like that,” he tried, but she shook her head, sitting back in the chair and kicked her legs onto the table and crossing them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay Daddy, I get it,” she teased, winking over at him. “Secrets safe with me,” she said, resting her head back and closing her eyes, crossing her arms over her stomach. He blinked, gazing over her body briefly before turning away in a little huff. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s the strangest boner I’ve ever gotten. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After about twenty minutes, Kyoya called Reina to let her know that Honey, Mori, and Haruhi had all been found, and that they had all decided it was probably a wrap for the day. She stood and promptly dismissed herself to change back into her dress, and by the time she got back, the group had returned and was ready to leave. Tamaki met Reina halfway and held his hand out for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready to go?” He asked, lifting up her bag that he had already packed up for her, and she gave a little nod, walking with him back to everyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So when’s the date, Hikaru?” Reina asked, eyes twinkling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgot about that, Hika-Chan! You won the bet before the wave!” Honey recalled, and Hikaru glanced over to Haruhi, who turned a soft pink and simply shrugged her shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll coordinate with Haruhi, since I won and all,” Hikaru said, the nerves finally settling in. Tamaki’s eyes widened, clearly angered, but Kaoru immediately shot him a look so he bit onto his tongue to stay silent. The group all made their way out to the parking lot as Honey recounted the fight that had just happened with the officers, accompanied by little comments of approval from Mori, as well as a bit of input from Haruhi’s perspective. When they all got to the mostly empty lot, they saw an additional car that none of them immediately recognized. Reina let go of Tamaki’s hand and took a step away from the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I called one of my cars, to save you all a stop. I had a lot of fun, thank you for inviting me!” She grinned to the crowd of men in front of her. They all understood easily, and some even thanked her before saying goodbye, and heading off to the larger car for themselves. Tamaki, however, stayed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you want to ride home alone?” He asked softly, and she shrugged a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I figure you can spend some time with your friends on the drive, plus I’m probably going to go home and take a nap or something. If you wanted to hang out later, just text me and I’ll come by,” she smiled, jumping up and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, then took a step back. “But if you’re too tired for today, I understand. I’ll see you at some point. Have fun,” she smiled at him for a moment before turning to head to her own car. Tamaki watched her walk until she climbed into the car, then turned and headed to his own. He was the last to climb in, and nobody really said anything on the drive. Honey told the story about how fun it was riding in the wave, but aside from that, they all silently waited until the car approached their own homes. First to go was Haruhi, then Mori - but Honey opted to go in and hang out with Mori for a little bit, which left the last four. Hikaru had already slipped his headphones on, and Kyoya, as per usual, was pretending not to pay attention to his surroundings. Kaoru glanced between everyone in the car, then looked at Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’d you guys talk about?” He asked, catching Tamaki off guard. He blinked, then settled back into the seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing too interesting,” he shrugged. “She mentioned the date with Hikaru, I asked if she would go if he asked her, and she said she had a suspicion that he would ask Haruhi,” he recited, then frowned. “She asked who I would have preferred he ask.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what did you say?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said neither, of course,” he shrugged, and Kaoru groaned. “Why would I lie? I don’t want him going out with either of my girls.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And once again, we’re back to our initial conversation. You’re hopeless, boss,” he sighed as the car pulled up to the Hitachiin residence. He nudged Hikaru, who was deep in his music, and they both swiftly climbed out of the car, leaving Kyoya and Tamaki in silence. Tamaki watched out the window, watching the twins climb up the stairs and caught Kaoru still shaking his head a little. He scowled a bit, then turned to Kyoya, who was now watching him at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Tamaki asked, and Kyoya shook his head, looking back down at his phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that the wrong answer?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think maybe Reina got her own ride home because she was upset?” Kyoya asked simply, and Tamaki blinked. “I’m not saying that’s what I think happened, I have no clue. But perhaps that’s the conclusion that Kaoru jumped to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She seemed fine,” he said softly to himself, then grimaced. “Maybe that was the wrong answer, though.” He glanced down at his phone, though no notification had come through. “I should text her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Are you upset with me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat, staring at his phone screen, though no response came through. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She should definitely be home by now.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He felt the car pull to a stop, and he looked up to see the Ootori residence outside the window. Kyoya gave the blonde a little nod before grabbing his belongings and climbing out of the car silently. Slowly, the car began to move again, and Tamaki looked down at his phone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Still no response, she must be mad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He began to tap his foot, tunnel visioned on his phone screen, waiting for anything. With a sigh, he decided to call. Lifting the phone to his ear, he waited. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. “The person you’ve called has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Please try again later.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki’s eyes widened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is it normally four rings, or is it five? Did she decline the call before the fifth? </span>
  </em>
  <span>With quick thinking, he rerouted the driver to the Higurashi home. As soon as they pulled up, he gathered his belongings and jumped out, almost in a run to the front door and quickly knocking. It took a moment, but a staff member opened up the door, greeting him with a bow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m here to see Reina,” he said, and the woman in front of him nodded, opening the door wider and allowing him entry inside. He kicked off his shoes, manners lacking a bit as he walked past the foyer and up the stairs, making his way to the girl’s room. He grabbed the handle and quickly opened it, preparing to apologize. The words at the tip of his tongue even had a declaration for his love for her, but his mouth stayed shut when he saw Reina asleep on her bed, cuddling up amongst the pillows and blankets. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She really was going to take a nap. I thought she was just saying that.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He set his stuff down quietly, shutting the door behind him and stepped in the room. Tamaki hadn’t been in her room in a while, since they had begun hanging out in his house more often. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no reason to be here, I have the house to myself. We’re not required to tiptoe or anything - not that we typically leave my room, anyway.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Glancing around, he still found everything to be just as bare as he had left it, aside from the flower vase he had brought by on their date night. The flowers were still healthy enough, only a few wilting petals, but he made a note to pick up some replacements soon. In the corner of the room, he spotted the bag from her birthday, so he walked over to grab out the items he had gotten to decorate the room, being careful not to be too loud. After a bit of a search, he finally found the pictures he had printed out and given to Reina for safe keeping. He cautiously unwrapped everything, setting it out on the vanity, and then quickly got to work. He framed up the photo that he had gotten printed, unwrapped the twinkle lights and after finding some tacks in one of her drawers with miscellaneous school supplies, quietly started to hang them around the room. Every once in a while, he would glance over at her to make sure she was still sound asleep, and each time she was. As soon as he finished hanging the lights, he made his way over to the bed and crouched down next to it, gazing at Reina. She was on her side, covered by her blanket, and both arms were tightly wrapped around the pillow in front of her chest. Tamaki glanced over at her phone on the nightstand and saw it blinking, presumably for the missed call and his text. He stood back up, leaning over quickly and giving her temple a little kiss before going back to his tasks. The last few items he had were a whiteboard, and a new bed set, in a pale pink color. He grabbed the white board and sat on the ground in front of it, unwrapping the provided markers and he began to doodle and write all over it, just to add more character to it before he hung it. Tamaki thought back to the day at the store when they had bought the items, remembering all the other items he had tried to buy and was shot down. Reina had said that she liked the more minimalist look, so he had to beg to even get the whiteboard. After some pleading, ultimately she agreed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If anything, I at least want her to smile when she sees it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>After admiring his work for a moment, he took a quick picture, in case she decided to actually use it and had to erase his work, then stood. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The only thing left is the bed set, but that’s not happening anytime soon. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He glanced back over to Reina, then after stretching quickly, he threw his shirt to the ground and headed over to the bed, slowly climbing in and trying his hardest not to wake her. Once successfully laying, he draped his arm around her, making his way to his side and lying behind her. Reina stirred for a moment, so Tamaki stilled, but she moved back and cuddled into him, going back into her deep sleep. He let out a soft little breath and relaxed, tightening his grip a little bit on her, and settled into the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki never slept while laying there, he just enjoyed holding her as she slept for longer. After about thirty more minutes, Reina began to stir. Tamaki’s arm stayed around her, and she was faced away from him, so as soon as she recognized what she was feeling, she stilled. He had assumed that she had gone back to sleep, so he relaxed back into bed. Reina took a little breath, and in her still groggy state, pushed off in a quick moment, rolling to face the stranger in her bed and shot up, eyes wide. After seeing it was him, she instantly calmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she said tiredly, blinking a few times before rubbing one of her eyes. “When did you get here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little bit ago. Sorry, I tried to call, but you were already asleep,” he explained, and she nodded softly. She reached over to grab her phone and opened it to look at her missed notifications. “I was worried that you hadn’t responded,” he started, then his eyes widened as he remembered the text he had sent. “Reina, that text - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold on, I have to respond to something really important,” she interrupted, sending a quick text before tossing her phone down onto the sheets and laid back down, this time facing toward him. She cuddled herself into his chest and let out a little breath as she let her arms wrap around him. He felt his phone buzz from his pocket, and he glanced down towards it before looking at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she answered, voice still soft and tired. He stared down at her, though her eyes were closed and her face was pressed into his chest. Slowly, he pulled his phone out and glanced at the new message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: I could never be upset with my daddy (; </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a tiny little chuckle, before doing as Reina had done and tossed his phone aside, using that arm to wrap back around her and lift her higher up. He rested his forehead against hers, pecking her lips once softly, and grinned when he felt a little smile form on hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would I have been upset?” She asked, eyes still closed, as her hand moved up to scratch at his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kaoru and Kyoya had said maybe the reason you drove separately was because you were upset,” he admitted, watching her face for any changes, but saw none. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, just tired,” she said, stifling another yawn. She leaned forward, giving him another little peck on the lips. “You shouldn’t have worried. You were supposed to be having a fun ride back with your friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like to think about you,” he said softly, trying to add some charm, but the words came out much more genuine sounding than he had anticipated. She opened her eyes to look at him for a moment, before cracking a little smile and gave him another little peck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s true, though,” she retorted, which made his face drop. He opened his mouth to argue in defense, but she cut him off. “There’s an urban legend that says you can’t sleep when someone is thinking about you, and I slept like a rock as soon as I hit the bed. Must not have been thinking about me,” she teased, and he pulled her body closer to his, giving her a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The universe has to give some leeway on that. If it didn’t, you would never sleep because of me,” he winked, and she giggled softly. “I’m sure you would never sleep at all with the amount of people who have to be thinking about you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said that as if it’s a big number,” she laughed. “It’s probably sometimes you and sometimes Connor. You must take shifts during my insomnia nights.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you realize the impact you have on people,” he told her quietly, still watching her. “You don’t think that your old friends and classmates think about you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe for the first week after school starts, but I’m sure the curiosity dies down after then,” she shrugged, then blinked, realizing she had let out more information than she had initially wanted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he didn’t notice, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she hoped to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Curiosity?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck. He did notice. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She glanced around for a second, then stopped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you hang up the lights?” She asked, now sitting up to look around, and she smiled softly. “They look so cute! You didn’t have to do that alone, I would have helped you,” she noted, looking back at him. “Thank you,” Reina said, leaning down and giving him a little kiss on the cheek. “Did you do anything else while I was asleep?” He blinked, propping himself up onto his elbows and gave a slight nod, still thinking about what she had meant. “Will you show me?” She asked, scooping her phone up from the sheets. Tamaki watched over her for a moment, but nodded softly and climbed out of the bed, holding his hand out for her as she stood as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I put this picture in here,” he said, motioning over to her nightstand. She looked over at it, and a soft smile landed on her lips. Inside the white picture frame was one of the photos of Tamaki and Reina from the dance. “You don’t have to keep that one in there, but I think it looks good,” he teased, glancing down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s staying. Unless we end up taking a better one,” she winked up at him, squeezing his hand softly. “We don’t have many photos together, we should work on that.” He grinned a little, then tugged her softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hung the lights, but I couldn’t change the sheets or anything. I can do that now, after I show you the whiteboard,” he said, leading her over to her oversized mirror. Next to it, he had hung up the board. Most of the drawings on it were gibberish, just lines and fun little doodles, but there was a little bit of writing on it. In the top left corner, it read: </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina’s To-Do List: </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hang out with Tamaki </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Spend time with Tamaki</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Be with Tamaki </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Each sentence was in a different language. The first was in Japanese, second was in French, and the third was in English. She let out a little laugh as she read it, turning back to look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a goof, you know,” she mused, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek, but he intervened and caught the kiss on his lips, holding her there for another moment before allowing her to pull back. “But I appreciate it, thank you. It’s much more home-like here already. Your English has gotten pretty good, at least in writing. How comfortable are you speaking it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not very,” he admitted, furrowing his eyebrows. “But I also don’t have too much practice. The whole class so far has been writing, we’ll get to speaking it soon. I’m thinking next semester we’ll focus on it much more.” She gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you ever want to get ahead of the curve, I’d be happy to practice with you,” she smiled up at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’d do good,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she said in English, and he smiled a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you, my love,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he responded back, and she flashed him a big grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See! I knew you’d do good. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My love,</span>
  </em>
  <span> huh?” She smirked, lifting her chin to look up at him. Tamaki looked down at her with a small smile, and gave her a tiny nod. “Cute,” she cooed softly, still a little twinge of tease in her voice. He glanced down and saw her phone still in her hand, and reached out, grabbing it from her. She was a bit confused, but allowed it. Tamaki went to the camera app and pulled Reina into his body, in front of him, and wrapped his free arm around her little body. They were faced towards the mirror, and he grinned down at her. Once she realized what he was doing, she let out a little laugh and positioned herself for a picture. He made sure the white board was in the frame quickly, before leaning down slightly to make their heads closer. They both smiled as he took the picture, and right after he took the first one, Reina turned to face him. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck, jumping onto the tip of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. He wrapped his arm around her a little tighter and lifted her, so she bent her knees a little as he took the picture. She smiled softly as he set her back down, then gave him a little wink. “Cuter,” she mused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want one more,” he said, turning her to face him as he moved sideways. He glanced down to make sure he was getting everything he wanted in the picture, then with his one arm, he lifted her up to him. She kept her arms around his neck, but wrapped her legs around him as well. He gave her a little grin before leaning in, taking another kiss from her as he snapped the picture. His hand with the phone dropped, but he kept Reina in his hold, continuing their kiss. She had no intentions on breaking it, moving one of her hands to play with the back of his hair. He used his other arm to hold her as he took the steps to her bed, gently setting her down on the edge of the bed and taking his lips away from hers. She prepared for him to continue, but he didn’t. Instead, he leaned down onto his knees, in between her parted legs, and looked up at her. His hands rested on her legs, just above her knees. “What did you mean earlier?” She blinked at him, confusion setting in. “About the curiosity dying off after the first week, with your old friends. What did you mean by that?” She frowned a little, running one of her hands through his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing important,” she shrugged it off, but he frowned right back. “I already told you, remember? Jean Valjean? Leaving everything behind?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to know more in depth. I’m just confused about the curiosity comment,” he pushed on, eyes remaining on her, even as hers began to glance around. “Please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do we always have to talk about me?” She asked, playing with the ends of his hair. “I’d love to talk about you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can exchange information, like a game,” he offered, resting his head against her knee as he looked up at her, his hands moving down to the outside of her calves and holding onto them. “I have two first names. Tamaki, and Rene.” She smiled softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you go by just Tamaki, then?” She asked. “I like Rene,” she told him, running a strand of his hair through her fingers. He shrugged a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not common to have two first names that you actively go by, so I just picked my favorite. My mom would call me both interchangeably, but my dad normally just called me Tamaki, so Tamaki just felt more natural to me,” he explained with a soft smile up at her. She pushed some of his hair back, smiling back. “Your turn.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My middle name is Belle,” she told him, not yet going into the territory that he had wanted, but he grinned up at her either way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s very fitting, my beauty,” he softly told her, his thumbs rubbing at her skin gently. She rolled her eyes a bit, continuing to play with his hair. “Reina Belle,” he spoke out loud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Connor told me that he and my mom had argued about my name for a while. Finally, they had just decided that my mom would pick my first name and Connor would pick my middle name. When he picked Belle, apparently she tried to talk him into doing Bella instead, because she liked the double A sound. I’m glad he said no,” she laughed a little. “I’m still always a little surprised that she held up her end of that deal, instead of just naming me whatever she wanted, since he wasn’t around during the birth or anything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like Reina Belle, I’m glad she went through with that,” he told her quietly, still smiling slightly. “Do you have any questions for me, since it’s my turn?” He asked, subconsciously pushing his head against her hand as she started to scratch his scalp softly. Reina bit the inside of her cheek in thought, then after deciding, she nodded a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We hung out quite a few times before going on an official date. You know, the night after the dance, or the weekend in Nagoya, things like that. You also said that our date was your first, but had you ever hung out with girls in the same way as we had? Staying the night, going on trips or anything?” She asked. He furrowed his eyebrows a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said confidently. “You’re the first girl I’ve spent as much time with. I can definitely say I never stayed the night with a girl before you,” he told her, and she nodded a little bit, but he kept watching her. “Are you thinking about anything right now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she lied. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I am. Are you lying? Why lie? Was Emica lying? Were other girls lying to Emica? I don’t want to accuse him of lying, because then it seems like I care, but I don’t care if he’s been with other girls, I just want to know if it’s the truth or not. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Nothing other than the next question I’m planning to ask, since that one counted as your question,” she smirked softly. Tamaki scrunched up his nose a little, but then let out a small sigh and nodded. “Did you have any expectations for who you lost your virginity to?” She asked, then quickly followed up. “Like, did you plan to lose it after marriage? Did I ruin your plans or anything?” He immediately shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to be sure that anyone I’m intimate with, I care about her,” he assured her, turning his head and placing a small kiss on her leg. “And I care about you, Reina,” he said, then his eyes twinkled softly. “Reina Belle.” She rolled her eyes again, but couldn’t help but smile softly. “Okay. What did you mean earlier?” Her shoulders slouched and she looked up at the ceiling. “I told you a long time ago, but nothing you or anyone else could say would make me change my opinion about you.” After a moment of silence, she started to talk. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Coping Mechanisms (37)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Over 500 reads now on this fic! That makes me so happy, thank you to everyone who's still along for the ride! This is a shorter chapter - do you prefer longer or shorter chaps? I know I prefer longer ones, but I would be curious to hear everyone else's preferences :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Six</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back when I lived in Italy, the first and only year I lived there, my electives were French - they were already picked for me. I didn’t really correlate that to anything. When I went home for the week, I was really excited to get back to my friends in Italy, but Eric handed me my plane ticket that said France on it. I wasn’t given any notice, or any heads up about it, I just moved to France that day. I didn’t get to say goodbye,” she remembered back, a sad little smile on her face. “My first few weeks in France were really hard.  My friends from Italy obviously missed me, and I missed them, but they would call and send me texts and emails about what they were all doing, and about all the weird drama going on at school. I know they were just trying to make me feel better, but I just felt kinda left out. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings by asking them to stop or anything, so I just stopped responding. Either way, though, I hurt their feelings by ignoring them,” she sighed softly. “It got worse. Since I wasn’t responding to any of my friends, they would have other classmates try to get a hold of me. I probably was a little too mean over the phone when they would call, and eventually I just got to the point where I decided it would be easier to block all their numbers and emails. Every once in a while, a new one would call, so I would just hang up and block the number right there,” she explained, glancing back down at Tamaki to see how his reaction was, but he was just listening intently. “Let me know when you’re done listening, it’s kind of a boring story,” she laughed softly, but he shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to hear the whole thing,” he swore, tightening his grip on her legs and giving her thigh another soft kiss. She bit onto her lip but gave a little nod.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I noticed that I got to pick my electives that first year in France, so I thought that was interesting. Since I wasn’t given a new language, I didn’t say goodbye to my friends that year - since I had just assumed I would come back, or maybe I was just avoiding a goodbye since I never had to do it. Which, I did get to stay, luckily. But that second year there was a rough one. Upon entering that year, I noticed that my electives had been taken from me again, and I was learning Dutch, so I finally realized that the pattern was what I had expected. I knew I would be moving again, so I tried to act normal. It wasn’t until about the last week of school that I started to distance myself - but I didn’t do it on purpose,” she added quickly, glancing down at the sheets next to her. “My friends tried to hang out with me for the few weeks of break I spent in my host family’s house, but I kept declining. On my last day before getting on the plane, I decided it would be easiest to just block everyone’s numbers before having to deal with the aftermath, so I did that. Just like before, I would get a few calls from acquaintances, but I got smarter that year, and just answered the phone with a different name. Most of the time, they would ask for Reina and I would just say that they had the wrong number, which ended the calls pretty quickly. When I got a new phone, I never set up the voicemail so if the call wasn’t answered, nobody would hear my name or anything on the answering machine. In The Netherlands, I obviously had Japanese electives, so I knew my time there would be short. I got even smarter, and made a new email address that I could give everyone, then just log out of after the year was over. I never gave anyone my phone number there, I somehow just got away with not handing it out. So I’m sure they all thought about me for the first week, then after they got no answers, there was no reason to think about it any further,” she finally concluded, but still couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “That’s why I never wanted to talk about France. I didn’t want you to reach out to someone who knew me, and now they all know where I am. And then you would know about what I do to people, which isn’t fair for me to do to people, you know? Just leaving, after a year or two, and not speaking to anyone else ever again.” Tamaki took in all the information, nodding a little bit as he stared up at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And is that your plan when you leave here? If you leave here?” He asked quietly, and she let out a soft little sigh. Reina didn’t answer immediately, which made Tamaki’s stomach drop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got to pick my electives here, which gives me hope that I’ll be staying. That’s why I was more lenient with handing out my phone number here. I didn’t even make a new email address or anything, not that I’ve given my email out to anyone anyway. But there are a lot of English speaking countries, and I can never be quite too sure. I don’t quite understand the strategies they use when picking where I go, it’s almost like they spin a wheel or something. Like some weird, messed up yearly tradition,” she joked, but Tamaki didn’t budge. “If I were to stay another year, then it wouldn’t be my plan. Everyone separates for college, so it’s not like my entire friend group would continue on without me like they normally do. I know what I did was wrong, but it’s coping. Just what you have to do, sometimes,” she said softly, then glanced back at him. He was still waiting for his answer. “It was my initial plan to do that, just as I had done at every school, yes. I’ll admit that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that still your plan, if you leave after this year?” He asked, his voice full of sadness. Reina looked down at him and reached down, cupping his cheek with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she laughed. “I don’t think I could, honestly. Not only do I think I would feel much worse about leaving you behind than I would ever have felt about anyone else, but Kyoya’s ability to find everything out scares the hell out of me. You and your friends would be at my next host family’s house the same day that I arrived. Maybe even before I got there myself,” she teased, stroking his cheek softly. “Besides, I think I remember you promising me that you wouldn’t allow that to happen. So, I may as well make that easier for you, by choosing to stay in contact.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” he started softly, squeezing both her legs. “I remember that conversation, too. I think you tried to tell me not to get too attached to you, and I told you it was too late. But in that same conversation, I warned you of the same thing, if you wanted to leave me behind easily,” he gazed up at her. “I don’t think you listened to that advice. Am I right?” Reina let out a little laugh, still cupping his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got me,” she responded quietly, stroking his cheek once more. “Any more questions?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there anyone at all that you still keep in contact with?” He asked, and she nodded very slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sort of. My host family in France - the good one - but, only briefly. I mean, they’re all busy. I’m busy. Everyone is just, busy,” she said with a little sad laugh. “Plus the time difference just makes it harder, I’m sure we would talk more if we were in the same time zone. The girls were around my age, so it kinda just feels like some siblings that I briefly lived with - I mean, I guess that’s exactly what it is,” she mused, mostly to herself. “They all texted me on my birthday, and I normally text them on theirs. Every once in a while, we’ll do a little catch up, but nothing too intense. I’d love to go visit them again at some point, but I’m in no rush,” she explained, giving him a small little smile. “I also still have some friends in New York, since I still can take at least a day on my trip to go see them. It’s nice to have people that I can go see, instead of just being cooped up in the house. It’s kind of the same situation, I’m not particularly close with any of them, but we’ll text occasionally.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s your best friend? Don’t you have someone you can text when you want to talk to someone?” He asked, looking up at her sadly, and she shrugged a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t text me when you need to talk,” he pointed out, and she smiled softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t really need to talk. Besides, if I did, you’d pull it out of me easily enough,” she retorted, running her hand through his hair again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you ever think about logging back into that email, the one you created for The Netherlands?” He asked, and she shook her head. “Why not?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Easy,” she shrugged. “I’m afraid of what I’ll see. Either I have a ton of emails and I’ll feel bad for what I did all over again, or there will be almost no emails and I’ll get my feelings hurt,” she laughed a little. “Which is a gross mentality, and I know it, but it’s true. Is that all the questions you have for me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It makes total sense,” he assured, kissing her leg one more time before standing, looking down at her. “That’s it, for now at least. Do you want to go get dinner?” She nodded a little, but stayed still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to shower. If you want, I can just get a ride over to your house after I’m done,” she suggested, but he shook his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can wait. But, I may need to shower as well,” he thought out loud, innocently. Reina looked him up and down, trying to detect if he was going to suggest anything. When he didn’t, she crossed her legs and smirked up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Join me, then,” she offered, watching as his eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. “You know, water conservation. Just trying to be environmentally aware,” she teased, lifting her chin a bit higher. He let out a nervous little chuckle, glancing away. “If you’d be uncomfortable, I wouldn’t have any hurt feelings if you say no,” she added quickly, no teasing in her voice that time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said, reusing his English pet name from earlier. She smiled softly as she stood, reaching up to touch his chest, and then leaned forward to give him a little kiss on the cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve seen it all, anyway,” she reminded with another little smirk, making him grow an even darker red. She stepped away from him towards her closet, propping it open to grab out new clothes. He glanced back at her, his eyes falling down to the floor of her closet where he saw the alcohol bottles from Connor sitting. He made his way over and bent down, rummaging through the few unopened bottles. “I haven’t gotten around to it yet,” she answered before he could ask, then gave him a little grin. “I’m at your house most weekends, unless I’m busy with school work, and the two don’t tend to mix very well.” She grabbed the clothes she needed and turned to him. “If you’re going to shower with me, I have some clothes you could use, so you don’t have to put your old clothes back on.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you insist,” he said softly, but gave her a smile and a nod. She turned back to her closet, flicking through a few options before getting a pair of sweatpants and a large hoodie and handing them over to him. “That’s still a lot of alcohol for one person,” he pointed out, eyes still fixated on the bottles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really, if you think about it. You and I finished the bottle of wine together and were only tipsy, if anything. So one bottle of wine is for like, one good night,” she explained as she led him over to the bedroom door, walking out and towards the bathroom. “I have the three bottles of wine, so three nights worth if I want to use them up, and then one bottle of vodka that will be used over a long period.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those wine bottles are much bigger than the one we shared,” he pointed out, glancing down the hall each way as they made it to the bathroom door, just to be sure nobody was around before stepping in behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then maybe one of that size will get the both of us to a good spot, if you ever want to indulge,” she winked back at him, setting her clothing on the bathroom counter, then turned around to pull out two fresh towels from the linen closet, hanging them on the hooks directly next to the shower. The shower was made to accommodate two people, large enough with more than enough room to spare, plus an extra shower head. Inside the bathroom, there was a bathtub, which also looked like it could easily fit both Tamaki and Reina inside it, which she made a mental note of for future endeavors. She turned on the water quickly on one of the sides, holding her hand under it until it felt like her regular temperature, then turned to him. “You can set your own temperature, I’d probably make it much too hot,” she laughed a little. Tamaki set his own clothes down on the counter, then glanced over at Reina, who had already started pulling her dress over her head. She let it drop to the ground just as he made his way over to turn on his own water, sending glances over at her every few moments. She unhooked her bra easily, letting that drop on top of the dress, then pulled her underwear off her hips and stepped out of them, climbing into the shower onto her side. Tamaki, who had only been wearing his swim shorts to begin with, easily dropped them and climbed in after her. They were facing each other, their backs against the running water. Reina gave him a little smile as she squirted some shampoo in her hand. “Hopefully the scents aren’t too girly for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve always thought that you smelled heavenly,” he smiled over at her, looking through the products she had before picking out the same shampoo she had also scrubbed into her hair. “By the way, to answer your question from earlier,” he said as he began to run the product through his hair. “I wouldn’t mind drinking with you, but maybe not tonight. I wouldn’t want to fall asleep on you and waste it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, so you’re tired?” She asked, and he gave a small little nod. After rinsing her hands off quickly, she grabbed one of her body washes, a pomegranate scent, and poured some in her hands. “Turn around,” she told him. He furrowed his eyebrows together, but did so, the water hitting against his chest. Reina took a step towards him and softly started to rub the body wash into his back, starting with his shoulders and making her way down. He had been taken by surprise, but quickly adjusted, his shoulders relaxing in her touch. His eyes shut softly, letting his head fall back softly as she slowly made her way further down. She finally had finished spreading the soap, but continued to run her hands up and down his back, pressing in on particular spots that seemed to have small knots. As she finished completely, she gave him a little kiss on the back of his arm and took a step back, starting to wash the soap out of her hair, arching her back to do so. He glanced back at her and took a little breath, turning swiftly to wash the soap off of his back, and also rinsing the shampoo out of his own hair. Reina spilled some of her conditioner in her hands and rubbed it into the ends of her hair, then retrieved more of her body wash. After rubbing her hands together, she bent at the waist, running her hands along her legs, then once finished, standing back up straight and getting more to cover her arms. Tamaki just watched her in awe, glancing back down at his own body and soapy hands every time he could remember that he was staring. He glanced back up at her after putting a little dollop of conditioner in his own hair, watching as she ran her hands over the front of her body, soap suds forming all over her stomach, breasts and chest. He quickly rinsed his own hands, then gave her a tiny little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your turn to turn around,” he said, grabbing her body wash and pouring some in his hands. She gave him a smile and a little nod before doing as she was told, the water rinsing all the soap off the front of her body. He rubbed his hands together, mirroring as she had done and took a small step forward. Tamaki used both his hands, starting in the middle of her back and pushing them up towards her shoulders, massaging her in the process. He lingered around her shoulders, cusping his hands over the tops of them and digging his thumbs into her shoulder blades. Reina couldn’t help but let out a little moan, swiftly biting onto her lip to shut herself up. His eyes widened for a moment, before smiling softly and deciding to continue on that spot, taking another small step closer to her. After staying on her shoulders for a while, he moved his hands back down, pressing hard against her skin as he reached the bottom of her back and rubbing the soap in. He slid his hands to her waist, making small circles with his hands. Under his grip, he could feel her softly shaking. Tamaki made his way down, his hands reaching to her hips, and he continued to massage the soap into her skin, taking yet another step towards her. He slowly moved his hands to the front of her thighs briefly, before moving his hands to the backside of her thighs. Once he finally lifted his hands, she turned herself around and looked up at him, smiling gently. He returned the smile, reaching around her to rinse his hands off before leaning down and giving her a soft kiss on the forehead and stepping back to rinse his hair out once more. After a moment of silence, Reina grabbed yet another product and poured some out onto her hand, before holding the container out for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should try this,” she said. He grabbed it from her, reading it. “It’s an exfoliating face scrub. Your face is always pretty smooth, but it smells really good and just feels good,” she beamed, beginning to rub the product into her cheeks. He continued to read the instructions on it, where it said to leave it on for 3 minutes before rinsing off, and to keep away from eyes. Finally, he nodded and put some on his hands, setting the container back down before following her lead. He watched as she rubbed it into her cheeks, then into her T-Zone, then down her jaw and onto her neck. Finally, Reina rubbed her hands together with the remaining product, but didn’t rinse it off, so Tamaki did the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It really does smell good,” he thought out loud, sniffing his hand, and Reina let out a little giggle. She glanced at him up and down for a moment, before taking a step forward, lifting her chin to look up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have three minutes until we should wash it off, you wanna play another game in the meantime?” She asked, batting her eyelashes at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A game, in the shower? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wondered, but nodded softly. She held up her hands, still covered in the scrub. “First to use their hands, loses,” she explained as she held both of her arms behind her back, clasping them together, then grinned up at him before pushing her mouth against his. He immediately moved to grab her waist, but stopped in his tracks as he processed her words. Tamaki leaned himself down a little further as he pressed further in the kiss. It didn’t take long for his fingers to start to twitch, itching to feel her body again. Reina pulled herself away from his lips, moving her face past his neck to avoid getting any product on her own lips, and started to give him soft kisses against his collarbone. He glanced down at her, noticing her hands were still tightly clasped behind her, and bit softly down on his lip. As she made her way further down his chest, she began to leave soft little bites all over his skin, and he bit down onto his lip further. Reina slowly made her way back up, standing back up straight and moving her lips back to his. Just as he began to deepen their kiss, Reina arched her back and pressed her breasts against his body. Her hands were still secure behind her, but Tamaki’s had been shaking at his side, and he finally let them run loose, flying to her sides and pulling her body even closer to his. He could feel the little smirk on her lips, but ignored it as he pressed himself against her. She let him continue for a few more moments before finally pulling herself away from his lips and smirking up at him. “I win.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I won,” he argued, tightening his hold on her. She let out a small little laugh and pecked his lips once more before pulling herself out of his touch to wash her face off. Tamaki had already forgotten what they were even doing in the first place, so quickly followed her lead and did the same, rubbing his hands together under the water after his face was clear. Reina turned the water on her side and cracked open the opaque sliding glass door, reaching out and grabbing hold of her towel and wrapping it around her body, tying it to itself. As Tamaki turned off his own water, Reina started to lightly ring her hair out, then teasingly flicked some of the remaining water droplets from her hand onto Tamaki’s back as he reached out for his own towel, which made him stop in his tracks. He glanced back at her, and with a playful grin, he swiftly reached around her to turn her water back on. Reina let out a little shriek, grabbing onto his arm before he could reach it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no, no,” she said through her laughs. Tamaki pretended to struggle to reach it, before finally ‘giving up’ as he began to laugh with her, grabbing his towel with his spare hand and pulling it to him. Reina ran her hand through her hair one last time, to make sure the majority of the water was out of it before stepping out, walking back over to the counter. The mirror was fogged, so she grabbed a rag from next to the sink to wipe it down enough to catch her reflection, then glanced over at Tamaki who was just climbing out himself. “Do you normally put any product in your hair?” She asked, and he shook his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not normally, no,” he told her, and she nodded back, picking up a spray bottle from the counter and motioning him over with one finger. As he made his way over, she sprayed the bottle onto her hands and rubbed them together. Once he was in front of her, Reina reached up and began to run her fingers through his hair, starting at the roots and making her way up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your hair is gonna be really soft once it dries. Plus, this one smells good too,” she smiled up at him, then continued to work her way through his hair. He leaned over a bit to accommodate her. He felt a little tap on the top of his head and she sent him a little smile when she had finished, so he stood back up as she sprayed more of it onto her hands and began to do the same thing to her own hair. “I also have a face mask I normally use after I shower. It’s an overnight one, so you won’t have to wash it off or anything, if you’re interested. My lotion is in my room, so if you need any of that, I can give it to you before we leave,” she grinned, finishing with her hair and moving to pick up the face mask. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you always use all this stuff?” He asked, and she nodded a little as she put little dollops of cream on her face. “Makes sense why you always smell so good,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and dropping his nose into her hair. “And why your hair and skin are always so soft.” Reina smiled softly as she rubbed the cream into her face, resting the back of her body against his. “I could never put my finger on what the scent was. Pomegranate,” he nodded, as if it made sense now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The coconut scent in the hair stuff probably throws it all off,” she pointed out as she grabbed her hair brush. Tamaki lifted his head off hers so she could brush her hair out, but never loosened his grip on her waist. She glanced up at him once she was parting her hair down the middle. “You got to promise not to make fun of how my hair is about to look. It’s only until it dries,” she swore, and he gave a little nod. Reina leaned across the counter, grabbing two lone hair ties. She began to work on her hair, sectioning it into two separate halves, twisting each half into a bun on the top of her head into space buns and tying them up there. She pulled her bangs out from the rest of the hair and looked it over once more, turning her head slightly to ensure there were no loose strands in the back before nodding a bit, then looking at Tamaki through the mirror. He was watching her with wide eyes and a pink face. “I know, it looks stupid.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s so cute,” he gushed, voice barely audible. She let out a little laugh, turning her head to glance up at him. Reina was prepared to make a joke, or tease him, but was cut off when he tightened his grip around her and pulled her into a bit of a backwards hug, lifting his arms a little higher on her body and resting his forehead in between her shoulder and her neck. Reina stilled, letting him hold her, then a small little smile flashed on her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so cute,” she argued, reaching her hand up to ruffle his hair softly. “Come on, let’s get dressed. I thought you were tired.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got a second wind,” he said simply, repeating his words from the first night they spent together. Still, he planted a little kiss on her neck before standing up, reluctantly letting go of her and moving over to his pile of clothes. “Have you thought about what you wanted for dinner?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything is fine,” she shrugged as she let her towel drop to the ground. Tamaki cast a little glance her way, but did the same. “Are any of your favorites nearby?” She asked, looking over at him as she grabbed her crewneck and began to pull it over her head, skipping a bra. He nodded a little, stepping into the sweatpants she had given him to wear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a really good place, should I get it delivered here?” He asked, watching in awe as she pulled a pair of underwear up her legs, watching the fabric hug her skin once it hit her hips, then she went to put on her black pajama shorts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could go pick it up and go to your house,” she suggested with a smile. He grabbed the hoodie of hers, but furrowed his eyebrows a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is Sora going to be upset if I steal you every weekend?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she said with a little smile. “We have off nights as well, I think we’re both okay with occasional solitude. She had three sons, so I think I talk a little bit too much for her,” she joked, glancing over at Tamaki. “Plus I don’t have stuff to say every single day, so it’s better when I have an additional day or two to stack all my stories into one conversation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take your talking anyday,” he told her softly, reaching his hand out for hers. “You don’t need solitude, you’re invited to be with me always.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Playing Games (38)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Just wanted to show what I made on Picrew when I was bored. It’s obviously not 100% accurate but pretty close, and I thought it was cute!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just a little something to help visualize what they look like together. :) I could try and find a template on picrew that I think would look more like Reina if anyone is interested!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Eight</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This sure is a strange sight,” Hiroto announced as he made his way over to Reina’s table, getting a few other laughs from the classmates nearby. “Mrs. Tanaka doesn’t need us, and you haven’t bolted out the door yet?” A portion of the group had already darted out the door, but a good number remained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mrs. Tanaka needed two people today, so I thought maybe I would hang out with all my friends and classmates since they’re all here, too. Is there an issue, Kiyama? Would you prefer I left?” Reina teased, lifting her chin to look up at him as she remained seated. Another one of their classmates, Kane laughed a bit as he began to pack up his belongings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bold of you to assume any of us are staying. You two may have been free for a while, but this is a first for the most of us,” he pointed out, eyeing the two of them, and Reina rolled her eyes a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s even more reason to celebrate instead of just going home. Why don’t we all go do something instead?” She suggested, turning to all the contemplating faces around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is there to do?” Hiroto asked, now raising an eyebrow, and she shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go on a trip to Seattle or maybe Disney World… Or we could all go take a long walk on the beach, drink some wine, talk in the moonlight, confess our love for each other as a collective whole,” she listed, giving a little eye roll at the snickers she heard from around her. “Or we could take the boring route and go get food, and I have a game room in my house that hasn’t really been touched. Pool, foosball, I think there’s some gaming consoles in there too. I just would need to text my mom to make sure I can bring over a large group, depending on how many people wanted to come with.” She looked around, and saw the majority of the group giving little nods, glancing to one another to gauge the room, before finally it seemed like a collective yes. In all, there were about eight people including Reina who agreed to the idea. The rest of the class had left before the conversation had even started, whether it was to join Mrs. Tanaka for rehearsals or to rush home to enjoy their new off time. The hardest part was for everyone to decide what they all wanted to eat, but since Sora had responded to Reina and let her know she could have the guests over, they all decided to just drive in small groups and get their own food before meeting back up at Reina’s house. She had glanced over to Hiroto, opening her mouth to ask if she could ride with him, but before she could even get the words out, he gave a little nod and a smile. She returned with a beam, scooping up the bag and writing the address down on a piece of paper for each separate car and handing them out before her and Hiroto walked out together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a preference on where we eat?” Hiroto asked, and she shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not a single. I just didn’t want us to spend the whole hour arguing about where to go. It’s your pick, sir,” she grinned up at him and he thought about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about some sushi? That should be quick enough to carry out,” he pointed out, and Reina gave a tiny little smile and a nod, glancing away from him. “You don’t like sushi, do you?” He asked, giving a little exasperated sigh as she laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” she admitted. “But I don’t think I’ve given it a solid chance, either. As long as you can promise that it’s good, then I’ll try it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s other stuff on the menu, we’ll grab something else too in case you don’t like the sushi. Whatever you don’t eat, I definitely will,” he laughed as they reached his car in the student parking lot. He quickly unlocked it and they both climbed into their respective sides. After adjusting the radio, Hiroto took off from the parking lot and onto the road, headed to his favorite sushi shop. “Why’d you invite everyone over today? You’ve never done that before.” She shrugged a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a Monday, and I’m already bored for the week,” she said, glancing over at him. “Besides, never has Mrs. Tanaka dismissed that maybe people all at once, so it only really makes sense to choose now if I was ever going to hang out with everyone. I’ve really only had a few conversations with everyone in there, other than you and maybe one or two others, so may as well get acquainted.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Better late than never, I guess,” he said with a shrug. She narrowed her eyes at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see you inviting everyone out. Unless, I’m just not invited.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well you always leave, so I guess you’ll never know,” he laughed, eyes darting over at her for a moment. “I haven’t, but that’s because it’s not really my idea of fun.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why did you agree to come today?” She asked, pulling her knees up to her chest and twisting her unbuckled body to face him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounded like fun with you,” he teased, kissing the air in her direction and she let out a little laugh. “I had nothing better to do, as well.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” she smiled, propping the door open as he parked. “Well anyway, you’d better pick something good off the menu, Kiyama. Whether or not I like sushi rides on your shoulders for the rest of my life.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thanks for the pressure,” he chuckled, kicking his own door open and stepping out. They made their way inside, and after a quick look at the menu, Hiroto ordered the food to go, the both of them deciding to split the bill. Hiroto had been wrong in his assumption that take-out would be quick, so they were the last to arrive to the Higurashi household. Luckily, the staff members had already been informed about the guests and had escorted everyone to the game room. The room had more than enough seating accommodations, so they all sat around and talked mostly about theatre stuff, mixing in a few other topics here and there. Reina’s phone buzzed a little so she glanced down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Did you go home early? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: You know me so well :* </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She set her phone back next to her, turning back to the group. Hiroto had caught the little smile on her face, but decided that he would address it later. However, one of the girls in attendance, Yui, decided she would address it immediately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oooh,” she gushed, turning to Reina. “Was that a boy? I know that smile,” she teased, the attention turning to Reina, and she blushed up, eyebrows furrowing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sound like my dad,” she laughed a bit. “I’m just a funny person. I laugh at my own texts.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a lie,” another one of the girls in the group, whose name was Himari, said. Kane glanced over at Hiroto, who simply gave him a shrug in return and used his chopsticks to pick up another one of Reina’s rejected sushi rolls from her plate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyone we would know?” A boy named Kaito asked, and Reina shrugged a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I was hypothetically talking to a boy, I wouldn’t know if you knew him. I don’t know who you know,” she pointed out, setting her plate on top of Hiroto’s empty one, and he cast a glance over at her. Another text came through, but Reina flipped her phone upside down to keep from any wandering eyes reading the name on the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d bet money that I know who you’re talking about, and I’ll bet you that everyone here knows who it is,” Hiroto told her, but gave a quick nod in thanks at the leftover food she had given him. Reina rolled her eyes, but glanced back at the group, who were all staring at her with curious eyes. She let out a little sigh, setting her chopsticks on her plate in Hiroto’s hands. “She just doesn’t want to say it because she knows what I’m going to say.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what would you say, Hiroto?” Yui asked curiously. Reina glanced over at Hiroto, shooting daggers out of her eyes, but he just let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Tamaki Suoh. But we’re just friends, he was just asking if I had left school early like I normally do,” she explained, trying to calm any fire of a conversation that had started. A few eyes in the room turned to Himari, who seemed to stiffen a little bit, but Kane was the first to let out a little laugh to defuse any tension. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m sure we’re all glad to hear you’re just friends!” He said, and Reina furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “He and Himari are sort of talking, so I’m sure she’s relieved.” Reina blinked, turning to Himari. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s right. I definitely saw her at the dance, waiting in line for a turn with Tamaki. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She gave the girl a quick smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep! Just friends. He needs help with his English homework occasionally, and since it’s my first language I help him with it a lot, so I’m sure that’s all he was texting me about,” Reina laughed a bit. Himari gave her a little smile back, though Reina wasn’t sure what other emotion she was detecting. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hurt? It doesn’t seem hurt. Maybe jealous? I really can’t tell.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay Reina, I understand. He’s a host, and has a lot of guests. I know that there will be others in the school that he has conversations with, I’m not too worried about it,” she responded, but her voice had hints of bitterness in it. Reina felt her own heart drop for just a moment, but she simply gave a soft little smile back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>guest? </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>I’m definitely not a guest, that’s for sure,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself then looked around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m glad. Anyway, nothing in this room is off limits - at least, I don’t think it is. Whatever you guys want to do,” she smiled softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Himari, let’s play Mario Kart!” Yui smiled, in a clear attempt to get Himari’s mind off of everything as she bounded over to turn on the console. The boys in the room headed off to play a game of pool, and the girls all migrated in front of the television to play video games. However, Hiroto and Reina stayed seated next to each other. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A guest, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself once more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So he hasn’t said anything to her, the bastard. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina cast a glance at Hiroto, who gave her a sad little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Saying I told you so just isn’t as fun as I thought it would be,” he admitted, but cocked an eyebrow. “But I did tell you so.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” she groaned quietly, slumping against the back of the couch. “I haven’t smoked in months, but I could sure go for something right now.” Hiroto blinked, then set the plates down on the table in front of him before standing, backpack in hand. “Are you leaving?” He shook his head a little, and motioned for her to follow him. She furrowed her eyebrows together but grabbed her phone and stood, following him out of the room. Everyone had been too interested in their games to notice the departure. Hiroto led her out to the front steps of the house and took a seat. “I don’t need to talk about it, if that’s what you’re trying to do,” she warned, but took a seat next to him nevertheless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said, unzipping his bag. She watched as he shuffled through the contents of his bag, before finally pulling out what to Reina could be a million dollars. In his hands were a pack of cigarettes, unopened, and a lighter. “I don’t smoke often, but socially I will.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could kiss you right now!” She exclaimed, holding both her hands out as he let out a little chuckle, unwrapping it. “How’d you get these? Don’t you have to be twenty to buy them?” He glanced at her as he rested a cigarette in her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m the youngest of four, I can get whatever I want, really,” he explained, and she gave him a big grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might be putting in an order with your older siblings soon, then,” she said, popping the cigarette between her lips. He smiled slightly at her and lit the cigarette for her. Reina took a deep inhale, basking it in. “I don’t even really like cigarettes, I was actually referring to weed, but this is way better than nothing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, in case you’re in need of that, there are people I know,” he told her, pulling out his own cigarette and lighting it, tossing the lighter in between their legs. “I never took you as the smoking type.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I lived in The Netherlands, I was high all the time,” she laughed, sitting back against the steps. Her phone began to vibrate again, and she tried to ignore it, but it kept going. She glanced down and noticed a call coming in from Tamaki. She glanced at Hiroto, who simply shrugged as he took another drag from the cigarette in between his fingers. She sighed softly, grabbing the phone and lifting it to her ear. “Hello?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, did you get my text?” Tamaki asked, and Reina could tell he had a smile on his lips. Something that was normally charming and heartfelt to her now felt weird, given the new circumstances. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, no,” she admitted, glancing at Hiroto, who was staring forward but obviously listening intently. Reina took another silent inhale of the little, slowly withering cigarette in between her fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The club finished up a little earlier than normally, I just got home to change and I wanted to see if I could come over,” he said, still clearly smiling. Reina almost coughed on the smoke, but caught herself, eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, no,” she said quickly, then tried to rephrase to fix the abruptness in her tone. “Sorry, I just have some friends from theatre over right now, so probably not the best time.” Hiroto glanced over at her, sitting up a little more as he was piecing the conversation together in his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve hung out with my friends, I don’t mind spending time with some of yours,” he responded, voice much calmer than hers was. “If fact, I’d love to meet the people who my little princess spends her time with!” He beamed from his side of the phone, beginning to gather up his items so he’d be ready to head over as soon as he got the clearance to come. Reina took another quick drag from the cigarette, her hands starting to shake a little bit, partially from the new burst of nicotine entering her system, but also from a bit of nerves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, really, I think sit this one out,” she warned. “We can hang out another time.” Hiroto rolled his eyes, grabbing the phone from Reina’s hand and pressing it to his own ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey man, it’s Hiroto. Come on by - Ow!” He looked at Reina, who had just punched him hard in the shoulder. “That hurt,” he hissed quietly, but turned his attention back to the phone. “We have quite a few people here. Kade, Kaito, Yuma, Yui, and a few others, let me think,” he said, turning to the fuming Reina. “Oh, that’s right. Himari is here, too. Ring any bells?” He asked, a hint of mockery playing through his voice. Reina sent another punch his way, but only a little grunt came from Hiroto that time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think a few, yeah,” Tamaki said, eyebrows furrowing a little bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why is he talking to me? And why does he sound like he’s in pain? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina snatched the phone back from Hiroto after a few blocked attempts, and threw it back onto her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, can we not do this today? I’ll talk to you later, it’s just not a good time,” she said, not waiting for a response before hanging up the phone and letting out a loud, frustrated scream. Tamaki glanced down at his phone at the sudden end of the call and frowned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m definitely going over there.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tossed her phone into the grass next to the steps and fell back, her head just barely missing the edge of one of the steps behind her. Hiroto looked back at her, watching as she stared up at the sky for a few moments before bringing the cigarette back to her lips and taking a long, hard inhale on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re smoking the whole pack today,” she told him sternly, then glanced over at him. “Why the hell would you do that? What was the point of that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you treating him like some kid? Most girls would kill at the chance to have a confrontation with a guy talking to two girls,” he said simply, and she sat up quickly, looking at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m allowed to do what I want, he’s allowed to do what he wants, you’re allowed to do what you want,” she said coldly. “So long as everyone knows what the situation is. I don’t have feelings one way or another if he’s fucking someone else. But did you see Himari's face? I don’t want to put her through a weird confrontation that she didn’t sign up for.” He pressed his eyebrows together. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fucking someone </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>else</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>, huh? I didn’t know it went that far already, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself, another twinge of sadness and jealousy flying through him, but he pushed it back again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I really don’t think I’m cut out for this type of relationship. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think she deserves to know?” He asked, and she let out another groan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think she deserves to know on her own terms, and not while she’s trying to have a good time?” She asked, shoving her cigarette butt into the concrete below her, and held her hand out for another. Hiroto quickly complied, not wanting to make her any madder, and lit it with ease. “She already looked upset. I’m sure she was planning to talk to him about it anyway. Why would you try and create unnecessary drama?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think guys like that should have to face the consequences?” He asked, frowning slightly. “Especially when there are good guys out there, who have to compete with jerks like him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, please don’t pull the nice guy card on me,” she pleaded, dropping her head into her knees. “I was just trying to have a good time today with everyone. Can we please just do that? I’m so sick of my life drama constantly ruining everyone else’s lives.” He watched her for another moment, then sighed and rested a hand on her back, rubbing it softly through her uniform. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry,” he said, glancing down at his own cigarette, flicking some of the lingering ashes away. “I shouldn’t have done that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgive you,” she said simply, lifting her head back up to take another inhale of her cigarette, but watched as a black car pulled into the driveway. “Nevermind. I don’t forgive you.” Hiroto followed her gaze, then sighed softly, pulling her third cigarette out of the pack in preparation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I messed up,” he responded quietly, still rubbing her back a little as they watched Tamaki climb out of the car. Reina reached over and grabbed the cigarette out of Hiroto’s hand, along with the lighter so she could pick up as soon as she finished the current one in between her fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can escort him inside, since you invited him,” she told him just as quietly, sending a little wave to Tamaki, who had just started up the steps. He was clearly eyeing the two cigarettes in her hand, and she took another little inhale from one as he approached them. “Hey,” she said softly. He gave her a little smile, then looked over at Hiroto, who had decided to try and be kind for Reina’s sake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’ll take you to everyone else. Reina and I will be back in after a few more minutes,” he told Tamaki, leaving no room for the blonde to stay outside with them. Tamaki gave a little nod and a smile in Hiroto’s direction, but he was still glancing down at the obviously stressed out girl holding two little cancer sticks in between her fingers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A discussion for later, for sure,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought as he leaned down, giving Reina a quick kiss on the top of her head before following the now scowling Hiroto into the house. Hiroto glanced back at Tamaki, leading him towards the game room. He knocked on the door softly to announce his reappearance before poking his head in. “Hey, we have a new guest,” Hiroto said, glancing between the room as Tamaki walked in. He was charming as ever, giving everyone a smile and a wave. A few eyes glanced back to Himari, but they all returned the pleasantries, easily welcoming him into the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a little weird to play with five people at pool, but we can make it work, come join us!” Kade finally said, giving Tamaki a smile, then glanced back at Hiroto. “Hiroto, you’d make it easier with six.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Five minutes,” he shot back as he turned to leave the room. “Just skip my turn, or something,” he called behind his shoulder, making his way back outside to find Reina laying across one of the steps, both cigarettes completely down to the bottom and pushed against the concrete. Hiroto let out a little sigh, skipping down steps to make it to her quicker and taking a seat next to her bent legs. “Do you want another?” He asked, and she shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I smoked too many already, my stomach hurts,” she said, then let out a little burst of laughter. “How ridiculous. I don’t think I’ve even had a single cigarette in like, eight months, and I just smoked enough for a whole day in a five minute span. Stupid,” she thought out loud, glancing up at Hiroto, who joined her in a little chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Truly the best friend of stress,” he shrugged, clasping a hand down on her knee. “The guys took him into their pool game, but asked that I join to make it an even number. I told them I’d be back in five minutes, but they can live without me if you want to stay out here longer.” Reina shook her head, sitting up just enough to look at him, her body resting against her elbows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Five minutes is more than fine. I just begged you to let us have a fun time, and we’re not going to have fun out here,” she said, then smiled softly. “Well, not as much. Just promise not to be mean to him, please. I know your opinions, but he’s actually really nice to be around. He’s a lot of fun, it’s not going to be weird unless you make it weird.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try my best, dear Reina,” he teased, then looked out in front of them. “Wish me luck,” he said seriously, and she rolled her eyes, laying back down to soak up the next five minutes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside, Tamaki had fit himself into the group of guys pretty easily. Yui and Himari were still playing Mario Kart, but would cast glances over at their newcomer every so often. Himari’s stomach was doing flips, but her appearance didn’t show it. While waiting on someone to take their turn, Kaito stood next to Tamaki and nudged him slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a brave one, I don’t think I could walk into a room with the two different girls I was talking to,” he said quietly, not trying to let Himari hear. Tamaki looked at him with wide eyes and Kaito chuckled a little. “Especially not as calm as you did. Don’t worry, I’m not judging.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not talking to two different girls,” Tamaki responded softly, furrowing his eyebrows. Kaito blinked, then smiled a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. I guess I just didn’t believe her when she said you two were just friends. I don’t think anyone believed her,” Kaito said, shaking his head a little. “My bad,” he apologized, stepping forward as it was his turn. Tamaki glanced back at the other two girls in the room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Himari is an occasional guest of mine, and the other is a consistent guest with Kyoya - I think her name is Yui. I see her pretty frequently and we’ve had quite a few conversations while she’s been waiting for Kyoya. I wonder which one of them was the one to say we were friendly</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he wondered, looking back at the pool table. As he was stuck in his thoughts, Reina and Hiroto made their way back into the room. Yuma exaggerated a little cough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, did you cover yourselves in tobacco?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow at the two. Reina shrugged one shoulder, smirking just a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t cover myself, but I did stuff my bra with some bags of it, so that must be what you’re smelling,” she responded, losing the smirk to act serious. Yuma rolled his eyes in a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Big bags,” he muttered. Tamaki gripped onto his cue a little tighter, biting the inside of his cheek at the comment. Reina simply rolled her eyes, walking over to where the girls were still playing at. Hiroto, who had just picked up his pool cue, whipped around and firmly whacked Yuma’s hand with it, getting a little yelp out of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that shit, especially not around me,” Hiroto said, giving Yuma a look that immediately shut him up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I can thank him for anything, it’s at least that,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought to himself. Once the girls finished their current round, Reina got a controller. The group stayed like that for a long time, conversing with those of their same gender on opposite ends of the same room. Finally, Hiroto set his pool cue aside at the end of their second game. “Pool just isn’t my game,” he concluded, shaking his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just admit we’re better than you at games,” Kane teased with a smug grin. Hiroto turned to him, pressing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll beat everyone’s asses at Mario Kart,” he declared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not mine,” Reina called from across the room, the two other girls letting out a little giggle. The boys all turned around to see Reina holding up her controller, smirking softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, especially yours,” Hiroto laughed, rolling his eyes. “So badly that I won’t even subject you to that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you’re chickening out,” Reina sang, looking back at her screen. “That’s fine, the three of us will just continue playing. Since you’re scared, or whatever.” Hiroto blinked and with a groan, made his way over to the couches where the girls were, picking up the spare controller. Yui looked up at the other guys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m done, someone come take my place,” she called with a grin. Himari quickly agreed, holding her controller out for the first two to come by and grab them from the girls. Kane and the quietest boy of the bunch, Reo, were the first two to rush over to grab them, but the rest of the boys trailed behind to come watch. All four of the new players began to set up their characters. “Between the two, I’m putting my money on Reina, I couldn’t beat her out,” Yui smiled. Yuma raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are we placing real money? Because I’ll bet against that,” he said. Yui thought about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but the winner pays tomorrow. I don’t have cash on me. 100,000 yen?” She suggested, and Yuma grimaced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nevermind, I don’t trust Hiroto that much,” he said, shaking his head, which got a little laugh out of everyone. Kane, who was player 1, glanced between the other three players. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are we ready?” Kane asked, getting a little nod from everyone. Reina, who was sitting next to Hiroto, gave him a little nudge. The game began and the room quickly became a madhouse. Cheers and boos were coming from all the viewers. Reina would let out a scream every time someone sent a sabotage her way, moving with her controller to try and work to the best of her abilities. Hiroto was trying hard to concentrate, but would laugh loudly every time Reina would freak out, which made him fall behind for a small period of time. The third lap came around and stakes were high; the four players all seemed pretty close to one another, flipping positions on the scoreboard seemingly every second. Every person in the room was yelling at the screen. Tamaki was noticeably cheering for Reina specifically, which made a few people in the room glance between Himari and Reina, who both seemed to be ignoring it. Finally, in one of the closest matches anyone had ever seen, the game ended. Reo came in first, and had actually been in first for the most amount of time. Next came Reina, then Kane, and finally, Hiroto. Though, all four were in the top four positions, beating out every computer generated character. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good job Reo!” Reina grinned, looking over at Reo who gave a shy little smile as everyone cheered for him. She turned to Hiroto, sticking her tongue out at him. “I beat you, that’s all that matters,” she grinned, getting a little nudge from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, whatever. Next time, I’m beating you,” he said, holding his controller out for the next player to join. Reina did the same. Tamaki came over, taking the one from Reina and taking a seat next to her, giving her a little smile. She returned it quickly before turning back to the group. Yuma had just taken the other controller from Hiroto and Kaito took his from Kane, the group deciding to allow the winner of each round to continue and either continue to win or lose their streak, which Reo took in stride. Reina glanced over at Himari, who had been watching Tamaki take the seat next to her, so Reina quickly stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna grab drinks, if anyone wants anything,” she smiled at the group, quickly compiling a little mental list and giving a nod. As she stepped away from her seat, she gave Himari a little smile, giving her permission to go sit next to Tamaki. Which, reluctantly, she did. By the time Reina got back with an extra staff member to help her carry in the second tray, the group had already gotten back into loud cheering and yelling. Everyone except Hiroto, who was looking at Reina with ‘I have something to tell you’ eyes. She blinked and set the tray down. “Oh, I can show you where the bathroom is Hiroto, I forgot you had asked earlier,” she smiled a little bit. He jumped up, quickly moving out of all the player’s views from the screen and rushing out of the room, grabbing Reina’s hand and tugging her with him much quicker than she had expected him to which made her eyes go wide as she tried to keep up with him. Tamaki had been a little distracted from the game as he watched the two leave, but swiftly turned his attention back to the screen to try and not lose the whole match over it. Reina blinked at Hiroto, who had tugged her far enough away from the door to ensure nobody would hear. “I’m taking it that you don’t actually have to go to the bathroom,” she teased, but he completely ignored her joke as he dove right into the actual conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki has never mentioned anything about Himari, right?” He asked, and Reina softly shook her head. “She’s acting weird. Like, sitting on the edge of her seat, staring down at her hands and not talking while sitting next to him kind of weird.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe she’s mad? Because of the fact I was texting him?” She offered, crossing her arms loosely. Hiroto furrowed his eyebrows together slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was kind of weird when I talked to him on the phone. When I said her name, I expected some kind of nervousness or push back or something, and I got nothing. I was still pissed so I didn’t think about it much, but after seeing how she’s acting,” he trailed off, glancing back at the door. Reina shot him a confused look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you implying, exactly?” She asked, though her voice only held curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” he said quietly, still looking at the door. “Maybe she’s not being truthful. He just, I don’t know, isn’t really acting like - that type of guy, I guess. You know, that I pictured,” he finally admitted, his cheeks turning a little pink at the newfound revelation that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>may</span>
  </em>
  <span> have been wrong. Reina blinked, watching Hiroto for a moment before smirking a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do think he’s cool, huh?” She asked, and he shot her a look. “I don’t know, maybe. I always just assume that they have different perceptions whenever I hear about another girl that claims to have been with him. He sees it as friendship, or just club work, and they see it as more. I don’t like to think of anyone lying,” she said, before peeking behind her shoulder to look at the door. “Though, I guess I didn’t do that today. It’s always been he said she said, I’ve never had someone in front of me claiming to be with Tamaki, so I might have unfairly jumped to a conclusion,” she realized, frowning softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think this is even different perceptions, if I’m being honest. They haven’t spoken once, other than a wave when he got here. That’s not normal behavior for people who are talking. I mean, he kissed you when he got here,” he scowled at the memory, but pressed on. “I just have a weird feeling about it.” Reina shrugged a bit, looking up at him. “Should we go back in and just ask them both outright?” He asked, and Reina’s face immediately fell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not,” she began, shaking her head pretty rapidly, and Hiroto almost had to stifle a laugh at the sight of her so frantic. “Everyone is having fun in there! I’ve been saying I don’t want to ruin the fun with </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> drama, but I honestly don’t want to ruin the fun with </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> drama. Let everyone just have fun and then we’ll figure it out later,” she said, sucking the inside of her cheek as she began to think about it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But how are we going to figure out what to do? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, the two of their minds clearly in the same spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, but then when are we going to say something?” He asked, glancing back at the game room doors to make sure nobody else was approaching, which they weren’t. Reina stared down at the ground, trying to think. Suddenly, she looked back up at him, eyes twinkling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could drive him home and try to ask? Like guy talk or something?” She asked, batting her eyelashes a bit and giving him a grin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mostly because </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>I </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>don’t want to be the one to have that conversation.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He narrowed his eyes back down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why the hell do I have to be the one to say something?” He asked, now crossing his arms. “I don’t think that’s fair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, to be fair, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> your theory. I think it’s really only fair for you to be the one to figure out the truth. You can play detective,” she mused, still batting her eyelashes up at him. When he still seemed sort of unconvinced, she pushed out her bottom lip. “Please?” He bit the inside of his cheek, but then a little smile appeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hell, I’m too nosey to say no. But what happens next, if she is lying?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let him figure out how he wants to handle it,” she shrugged a little. “That’s not our place. But I think I need to text Emica - she told me there were others that said the same thing, essentially - similar stuff. I should probably get those names for him, if he and I talk about it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to talk about it with him?” He asked, and she let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He might make you turn the car around if you get to the point before his house. I won’t be able to get past this without talking to him, but I respect your thoughts and opinions and want to hear what you think about it,” she smiled a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And I don’t want to deal with the truth immediately, anyway.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Unbiased.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unbiased,” he nodded, then looked back up at the door. “I’ll drive him home, and if I believe him, I’ll bring him back. If not, he might still get his own ride back here, but you’ll know my thoughts by which vehicle drops him off. Perfect plan,” he said with another confident nod and a grin, as if to praise his own idea. “Now, let’s get back in there.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Hiroto's Long Drive (39)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Thirty Nine</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the two rejoined the group, they had noticed that Himari had moved across the room to sit with Yui again, which only furthered the lying theory in Hiroto’s mind. They all spent another two hours playing the video games that the Higurashi’s had to offer, everyone involving themselves either by playing or by cheering the players on. As dinnertime came and went, the group had decided it was probably time to head off to their separate homes. Each person thanked Reina for hosting, and all talked about how they should definitely do it again. Once again, Hiroto noticed as Himari and Tamaki exchanged goodbyes, and how simple the few words were, which practically solidified his opinion. Tamaki waited until the crowd died off to approach Reina, in hopes to talk to her, but Hiroto stepped forward, giving Tamaki a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No need to call a car, I’ll drive you home myself,” he offered - though, it was much more of a statement than an offer. Tamaki blinked once, but gave a little, courteous smile and a nod before looking over at Reina.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully you had fun,” she said, not sure what else to say in the situation. He laughed very softly, finally giving her a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“More than fun. I’d better get an invitation next time you host something like this,” he said, giving her a little wink. His voice was teasing, but he was genuine, and Reina could tell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, we should go,” Hiroto announced, faking a little yawn and stretching. “See you tomorrow, Reina.” She gave him a little nod, both as a goodbye and a thank you to Hiroto. She walked them out to the door, giving them both a wave as they walked down the steps and off to Hiroto’s car. The moment that Hiroto shut the car door, he regretted his decision. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What in the hell was I thinking in agreeing to this? </span>
  </em>
  <span>They both seemed to think simultaneously. The tension in the car could be cut with a knife. Hiroto was aware of the conversation that was to come, along with all of his previous feelings about Tamaki and the host club. Tamaki had been feeling it too; Reina had told him that it was Hiroto who had told her to watch out for him, and the sight of him and Reina sitting on the steps smoking together felt too recent to think about. Both men briefly thought about how they each shared an interest - in one way or another - in Reina, but tried to push that thought away. Hiroto finally started the car and began to drive off. “Glad you came, it seemed like you had fun,” he said, not sure how else to start the conversation. Tamaki gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did, thanks for inviting me when Reina wouldn’t,” he said with a little laugh, glancing out the window, silently wishing that Hiroto would speed up to get him home quicker. Hiroto let out a dry little chuckle, before clearing his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you know everyone there already?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mostly, aside from maybe Reo and Yuma, though I think I had seen them around school once or twice. All the faces were familiar from when I had come into your class that one day,” Tamaki recalled, and Hiroto nodded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That day - the day that I took Reina, and you expressed your disliking for me shortly after, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to elaborate, but bit his tongue. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Reina likes him. Better not burn any bridges, I don’t know who she would pick,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he admitted to himself, though deep down, he had an idea on who it would be, which perked him up again for a slight moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I rank higher, I shouldn’t worry so much. I’m fairly certain that after everything that’s happened with us, she and I are way closer than they ever could be, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought in a bit of premature gloating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you knew some more than others,” Hiroto elaborated, casting a glance over at Tamaki, who was still in thought about how he thought he was likely to be Reina’s top suitor for the time being. “We all became aware of that when you were texting Reina.” Tamaki finally pulled himself out of his trance, the little smile on his face flipping to a pair of furrowed eyebrows as he looked back at Hiroto, whose eyes were back to being fixated on the road.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, I know Reina the most out of the group,” he said, as if it were obvious. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So we’re going to talk about it? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki wondered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not stepping down - but should I ask him to? No, </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>tell</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> him to. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I meant,” Hiroto said quickly, deciding to take the long way to Tamaki’s house, though had a feeling that his home wouldn’t be the last destination. Tamaki’s thoughts about how exactly he would tell Hiroto to give up on Reina ceased as he turned back to look over at Hiroto, whose face was unreadable. “Yui started to ask Reina who she was texting, and after enough probing, she told us it was you. Himari seemed to get a little upset, so Reina reiterated that you two were just friends,” he explained. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows even harder, now piecing together what Kaito said, how Reina reacted to him wanting to come over, it all made sense. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So it was Reina who said we were just friends? Not one of the other two girls? We’re more than just friends, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought somewhat sadly, basically grazing over the Himari situation that Hiroto was laying in front of him. “So. Are you and Himari a thing?” Abruptly, at those words, Tamaki jumped in his seat as he finally realized the other half of the situation. His eyes were wide, and he clutched his hand against his leg to keep himself from bouncing it in the small car.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, she’s just an occasional guest at my club,” Tamaki explained, looking over at Hiroto, who glanced back over at him. “I know a little bit about how you feel about me, and my club, but I promise I’ve really only had a few encounters with Himari,” Tamaki defensively said, and Hiroto let out just a little breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not how she seems to explain it,” Hiroto added, making Tamaki’s eyes widen even more. “She definitely is presenting it as if you two are in a relationship. In fact, when Reina reassured her that you two were just friends, Himari told Reina that she knew you had a lot of guests, and she wasn’t jealous. I don’t think Reina wanted to hurt her feelings any further by explaining she’s not a guest at your club or whatever, so she just apologized and we moved forward.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never had a thing with Himari,” Tamaki almost shouted, his voice full of confusion and just a tiny bit of anger in it. “Why would she say that we did?” Once again, he realized the other half of what Hiroto had said a few moments later, and he furrowed his eyebrows. “Reina apologized? For what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For intruding on your ‘relationship’, I guess,” Hiroto shrugged, making yet another loop around a random neighborhood, but Tamaki had yet to notice. “You kinda called in the middle of Reina’s freakout, so you might have gotten some harshness sent your way. Not as much as I did though when I took the phone from her. That girl’s got a good punch,” he said, shaking his head a little bit. “I thought she was upset because she was hurt, but she was mostly feeling guilty, I think. At least that’s what I took from it. Or that’s what she was saying.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never even spent any time with Himari one on one, much less outside of club hours ever. She’s lying, you have to believe me,” he almost pleaded, then, Tamaki’s face fell. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t care if </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>he</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> believes me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Reina. Is she still upset?” He asked, voice raising slightly out of worry. “I need to talk to her, I need to make sure she’s not upset,” he rambled, about to continue but Hiroto raised one hand to stop him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think she was. She was really mad at me for inviting you. I’ll admit, I did want to see you have to face both girls that you were simultaneously - supposedly - dating without telling the other. She said she felt bad for her issues always ruining other people’s days, and didn’t want to make Himari go through a confrontation she wasn’t ready to have. After you showed up, I think she was more flustered than anything. Once I went back outside after bringing you inside, she seemed to have calmed down and just made me promise not to cause any problems, to just let it be a fun day. I was annoyed, but agreed. Not sure if you noticed, but Reina definitely was keeping her distance, she normally hangs out with the guys of that group much more than the girls. When you came and sat by her, she left and let Himari take her place,” he said, glancing over to see Tamaki just intently listening in, a clear sadness on his face. “It wasn’t until Himari sat by you that I noticed that it felt weird. You two hadn’t talked the whole afternoon, she seemed nervous to sit next to you. I even thought back to when I had talked to you on the phone briefly, and how you seemed so nonchalant at the mention of Himari’s name. That’s why Reina and I left the room, I needed to talk to her about it.” Tamaki sat in his place, just taking in what he had heard. “So, I think I do believe you,” Hiroto finished, and Tamaki finally took a little breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you two talked about </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What was </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Did Reina agree with you?” He asked, voice slightly shaking. Hiroto made yet another loop around the neighborhood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That I felt like maybe Himari was lying. Reina tried to stick up for her. I mean, she tried to stick up for both of you, taking a true middle ground. But I think she might have more faith in people than she should,” he admitted. “She seemed to feel guilty at the end of the conversation for jumping too quickly on thinking you were lying, but I don’t think she had a true answer, either. Even when I was telling her that I thought Himari was lying, she still just shrugged it off as if she wasn’t involved at all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So Reina still thinks that I might be dating Himari?” Tamaki asked, a frown set on his face, and Hiroto gave a little nod. He immediately pulled his phone out to prepare to call Reina the moment he stepped out of the car, but once again, Hiroto lifted his hand up to stop him as they pulled into the Suoh Estate. He parked and turned to Tamaki, his face serious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not dating Himari - or any other girls?” He asked, and immediately Tamaki shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s only Reina,” he said, his voice full of passion. Hiroto let out a little chuckle at the situation, shaking his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know that feeling. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Thank you for the ride, and for telling me. And Hiroto, thank you for having faith in me, hopefully you know I’m a great guy now,” Tamaki said, thinking back to Hiroto’s prior opinions on him. Tamaki, though mostly nervous, also couldn’t help but beam for a short moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He believes me, so he </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>must</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> think I’m a great guy, and that I’m the better guy for Reina, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he rationalized. As Tamaki thought, the man in the driver’s seat simply blinked in response, not entirely sure how to approach that last comment, so decided to brush it aside altogether. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Reina must have mentioned what I said. That’s… uncomfortable, at best, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hiroto thought, but almost let out another chuckle at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you plan to go back to her house?” He asked, and Tamaki reluctantly nodded. After taking a little breath, Hiroto pulled the car back into drive and made a little loop, driving back onto the road. “I can take you. It’s on my way home, anyway,” he lied. Tamaki settled back into his seat, nodding a little bit. “She doesn’t care if you date other people, she’s told me that over and over again. Reina’s just worried about ruining another relationship. I don’t know, I think she’s got a weird thing about it. This is the first girl I’ve seen not going crazy over jealousy, she’s just going crazy over guilt. It’s weird,” he finally said, shaking his head. “I don’t think she’s going to be all awful with jealousy or anything when you get there, in case you were worried about that.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m rambling. Why am I rambling so much? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hiroto thought, glancing over at Tamaki who was nodding softly, just staring out the windshield of the car. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it’s jealousy, but normally I get abrasive when I’m jealous, Reina pointed that out. I’m being nice to him? I’m driving him back home to Reina’s house? Why am I doing this?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Tamaki said, thinking about all the information that he held that Hiroto didn’t. “But don’t you wish she did get jealous sometimes?” He asked out loud, though he meant to just think it. Still, Hiroto glanced over at him before looking back at the road. The question was rhetoric, both men knew the answer would be yes for both of them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe that’s why I’m being nice to him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hiroto finally realized. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Because I understand him, and this issue we both seem to be having. And from what it seems, neither of us are handling the openness of this weird relationship very well, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hiroto realized, holding in a soft sigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should probably think about this a little more when I get home tonight. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The ride to Reina’s was much shorter than the crazy path Hiroto had taken to get to Tamaki’s, so as soon as they got there, Tamaki thanked him one last time before bidding him farewell and running up the stairs to get to the front door, easily being let in and rushing up to Reina’s room. As Hiroto watched him exit into the house, a part of him hoped that all would be alright between the two, though he wasn't too sure why. He knocked slightly before opening the door to enter, not waiting for a response. She sat on her bed with her laptop in her lap, and her eyes darted up at the door. Everyone aside from Tamaki had still been in their uniforms during the game night, and Reina clearly hadn’t waited long to change into her much more comfortable pajamas. “Hey.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she responded, giving him a little smile. “Welcome back.” Tamaki closed the door behind him before walking over to her bed. He took a seat next to her, not breaking their eye contact. Reina moved her laptop off to the side before looking back up at him. “Did Hiroto bring you back?” She asked subtly, and he nodded a little. She nodded back in response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So Hiroto believed him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, her stomach dropping at the sight of Tamaki’s calm gaze. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no way to get out of his conversation, though I wish I could. </span>
  </em>
  <span> He stared at her for another moment before sighing. He reached forward and grabbed her body, tugging it into his. She slowly wrapped her arms back around him, resting her head on his collarbone. Tamaki held her like that for a few moments before hooking his arm under her, pulling her into his lap and looking down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not dating Himari,” he said simply, resting one hand on her newly exposed thigh, the other hand scratching at her back. “I’ve told you that I’m not dating anyone, nor have I, nor am I going to date anyone other than you.” She nodded softly, wrapping one of her arms around his body and the other resting on his chest. “Do you not believe me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that,” she said quickly to reassure him, but sort of had nowhere else to go with it. “I don’t know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I only have eyes for you,” he said, still staring down at her. “Do you not trust me?” She thought long about her answer, biting her lip softly. “Don’t try to spare my feelings,” he interrupted her thoughts, rubbing her back very softly. “I want your honesty so I can know how to fix this.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>How does he seem even calmer than I do? This seems somewhat unlike him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself. Through her thoughts, there was no way for her to notice the shaking arms that were holding her. The only thread of hope that Tamaki was holding onto was that Hiroto had believed him, and he was praying that Hiroto’s opinion could be spread to Reina. His mind was screaming all of the pleas and bargains he could think of. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Trust me! Let me show you how dedicated I am to you! Check my phone and take my email log in! Spend every second with me so I can prove it to you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing you need to fix,” she told him softly, moving her hand from his chest to cup his cheek, softly stroking it. “I just know that you’re the total package, and could have any girl you could ever want, and I don’t want to keep you from that,” she said, her voice traced with a slight tease, though most of her words were just slightly dramaticized truths. She glanced down, her voice going serious. “I don’t want to waste your time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No time with you is ever wasted,” he told her, his face still emotionless. “But you didn’t answer, do you not trust me?” Reina looked back up and watched him for another moment before pulling away from him for a quick moment to grab her phone. She clicked a few things, then held the phone up for him to see. On the screen was a text from Emica that had four names, names of girls who went to Ouran. He furrowed his eyebrows together as he read them over, then glanced to Reina for an explanation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if you remember how Emica realized I gave you the hickey, and how I had to explain to her sort of what was happening with us. When she asked if we had sex,” a quick blush came from Tamaki, but she continued on. “I told her no, because we hadn’t at that point. She seemed shocked, and told me that I was the only girl she knew of that hadn’t taken the opportunity to have sex with you when given that chance. You hadn’t told me you were a virgin then, only that you had never been on a date, so I just assumed it was all casual stuff. But then you told me that you were a virgin, and I wasn’t sure what to think. Emica never gave me names, I didn’t care to ask at the time,” she explained, setting her phone back down. “I just figured, I don’t know, maybe you wanted to make me feel good by saying I was your first. I never assumed you had ill intent or anything. Same thing with Himari, in a way. At first I kinda thought you had been lying, but I think that’s only because I was thrown into that situation so abruptly that I didn’t have much time to think. I just felt bad for her. After thinking about it a little longer, I realized it probably was another communication thing, where maybe you were talking to her but hadn’t quite done anything, so you didn’t feel the need to mention us yet, or didn’t mention her to me yet - not that you needed to or anything. Something, I don’t know,” she said, bringing her hand back up to stroke his cheek again. “I texted Emica to ask for the names of the girls who said they had been with you, not for my own personal gain, but in case you wanted to know who was saying they did. She sent me a much larger list initially, but after I clarified that I only wanted the names of people who had personally told her, she sent those four,” she finished, trying to gauge his reaction. Tamaki glanced back down at her phone for a moment before nodding and hugging her a little tighter to him, but making sure he could still look down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Send me both lists,” he said with a little nod, beginning to gently stroke her hair. “Everything I told you was true. You were my first, in all aspects. In dating, in virginity, in everything,” </span>
  <em>
    <span>In love,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, but couldn’t bring himself to say out loud. “I can understand why you questioned, but I wish you would have just come to me with your concerns instead of holding them in. I want us to be able to talk about these things, and handle them together,” he said softly to her, finally cracking a little smile. “You said I could have any girl I wanted, but you’re making it a little difficult for me to have you.” Reina returned his smile in a tiny laugh, rolling her eyes a bit. “Why didn’t you tell me what Emica had said?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t really any of my business to know who you had or hadn’t slept with,” Reina pointed out, and Tamaki shook his head softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I told you I had never been with another person intimately. You were under the impression I lied to you. Why wouldn’t you have told me what you had been told?” He asked, and she frowned a little bit. She laid her head back down on his shoulder, though remained looking up at him. Tamaki softly stroked her thigh, just waiting on her response. She thought about it for another moment before letting out a little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care about your past. Mine isn’t favorable, so I can understand not wanting to talk about it. I don’t care what you do or what you did, just as long as you’re not hurting anyone in the process of what we’re doing,” she explained, running one finger down his neck and drawing little circles. “I didn’t care much about how what Emica had told me contradicted what you had said because it didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>matter. But Himari saying that you two were currently talking, and how it was clear she didn’t know you and I were as well, that was what upset me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone lying to you should upset you for you, not on someone else’s behalf,” he told her quietly, holding her body closer to his. “It should matter to you. I would never lie to you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” she responded just as quietly, moving her hand down to his chest and continuing to draw little circles through his shirt. She let her eyes follow her hands movements, finally breaking their long eye contact. “I was a little upset, if you want me to be honest. I don’t know if upset is the right word, I guess just a little confused. Like, I don’t know,” she sighed again, thinking of her phrasing before continuing. “You were so adamant about wanting me to be honest with you, and to confide in you, and I guess I just felt a little bit like it was one sided. I know now that it wasn’t, but it was starting to feel a little like this whole thing was a gimmick, to get the girl to open up to you or something, like a challenge.” Tamaki’s eyes widened in horror and he grabbed both of her shoulders, pulling himself back enough to make her look back up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would never do that, Reina,” he swore, his voice slightly wavering, and she gave him a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know that now,” she reassured him. Reina pressed her hand against his chest and looked into his sad eyes. “Really, Tamaki. I do know that now, and I’m sorry I thought that about you. I should have just told you, I know, but I didn’t want to ruin what we had going on. When Himari told me you two were supposedly talking, I got really sad because I thought I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to have to block your number,” she teased, though he didn’t laugh. “I wouldn’t. It was a joke, I’m sorry,” she added quickly, giving him a quick little smile. He watched her for a long minute, just studying her. Finally, she laid her head on his chest and looked up at him through her bangs. She pushed her bottom lip out in a little pout, then used one of her fingers to twirl a piece of her hair, her puppy dog eyes commencing. “I’m sorry, Tama,” she said again in a soft little voice. His eyes widened just as a blush hit his cheeks, and a little whimper subconsciously left his mouth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So cute,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he inwardly doted. Finally, a chuckle came from him and he pulled her body closer into his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgive you, so long as you never assume I’m lying to you again,” he teased, then gave a little sigh. “I really do hope you know how much I care about you. I’m not lying to you when I say you’re the only girl that I have eyes for,” he said, then as realization hit, he groaned. “And now I have to figure out what to do about all these lying girls.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we figure it out at home?” She asked, not processing exactly what she said until he looked down at her in surprise. “I’m sorry. I meant your house,” she said quickly, cheeks turning a soft pink. He stared down at her for another moment, before giving her another quick kiss on the lips and giving her a wide grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we can figure it out at home.” He said, as he stood up with her still in his arms and gently placed her on the ground. “We also have other things to speak about when we get home. Maybe you should grab one of those wine bottles.” “</span>
  <em>
    <span>When we get home”. “Our home”. How amazing will it be to be able to say those words one day and mean it, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, watching as she smirked up at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope I get to say it to her. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On a school night, baby? How rebellious,” she noted as she skipped over to her closet to retrieve one of the bottles. “What else do we need to talk about?” She asked as she stood, bottle in hand and closed the closet door. When he didn’t respond, she peeked around her shoulder and saw him scolding her, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. “How am </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> in trouble?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was it you were doing with Hiroto when I showed up here?” He asked, his voice now reprimanding. Reina let out a little laugh as she scooped up a spare backpack she had and shoved the bottle into it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, daddy, we’ll talk about it at home,” she mused, holding her hand out for him. He blushed up almost immediately, but kept his face straight as he took her hand and she began to send a text out to both her driver and another to Sora. Though as they walked silently down to the car that had been pulled up for their usage, Reina thought about that conversation a little more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I shouldn’t have assumed anything, he seemed so upset. And he wants to drink tonight - I know what happened the last time we drank. He also said he hoped that I knew how much he cared about me. How much does he care about me? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered, just as a pair of lips crashed into hers for a quick kiss. He pulled back and gave her a little grin as he opened up the car door for her, motioning her in first. Reina stared up at him for a moment before her own smile fell on her lips, leaning up to give him a second peck on the lips before climbing in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Probably a lot. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki and Reina were cuddled up closely to one another on his bed as he read through the list of names Emica had sent over. He had one arm wrapped around her and one hand was holding her phone, so every few minutes he would give her a little nudge and she would feed him one of the fries from the fast food they had picked up on the way back to his house. Tamaki had already gone through a glass of wine and was on his second, whereas Reina was itching to sit up and pour her fourth. The calmness that had surprised Reina quickly disappeared in front of her once they got back to his house and the gravity of the situation finally hit him. They had gone through each name and Tamaki had noted that most of them had been guests, at one point or another. On some names, he didn’t seem all too shocked about the girl and their honesty, but some of them left him an unhinged jaw with surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Three out of the four girls on the smaller list are current guests of mine,” he groaned, dropping the phone onto his chest in a dramatic collapse, just as he had done three times earlier. “What am I supposed to do? Kick them out as guests? I haven’t had to do that many times. Probably three times in total, this alone would be doubling that number.” He threw his arm over his eyes in another exasperated sigh. “And that’s just on the short list.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess it depends on your feelings about the whole situation. Now that I’m aware that they’re all lying and that whole situation is out of the way, how does it make you feel that they’re saying that? Is it something that may be okay, club wise?” She asked softly, looking up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hate it,” he admitted. “That’s not even my character, that’s not even something I can play around with at the host club. If I was one of the twins, or maybe even Kyoya, then it could work. But it can’t work there. And club work aside, I seriously hate it, I don’t want anyone to think I’m like that,” he complained, then nudged her for another fry, despite the fact that his hand was now free. Reina smiled softly at the blonde, but complied and fed him another. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand that, baby. You don’t necessarily have to kick them out. Is it uncommon for hosts to request certain guests?” She asked, and he nodded a little bit. “You could still do it, right? Or even do it in a workaround way? You could just tell Kyoya to schedule all three of them for the same day and time and talk to all of them together,” Reina suggested. “He could just tell them all it’s the next available time slot, so it wouldn’t look all too odd.” He lifted his arm from his eyes to look over at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s a good idea,” he nodded after thinking about it for another minute, then gave her a little grin. “You should come work for me at the host club and make my life a little easier by handling stuff like this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well hopefully after this, there will be no more ‘stuff like this’,” she laughed a little. “Do you know what you would even say to them?” She asked, and his arm dramatically fell back over his eyes as his smile left his face. “I’ll take that as a no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell do I even do?” Tamaki asked, all hope in his voice completely gone. Reina sighed and sat back up, deciding to take on her fourth glass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can ask Emica to make sure she’ll be okay with it,” Reina started as she filled up her glass and took her first sip from it. “But maybe you could have Emica come sit in during it. I can let her in on what’s happening, or we can all meet up tomorrow during study hall to talk about it. Maybe she can mention it, since they all told her in the first place, and take it from there. Maybe they’ll tell the truth and apologize or something, and then you won’t have to kick them out, you’ll just have to establish that what they’re doing isn’t okay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It might be better to have Emica there, yeah,” he thought out loud, still frowning. He sighed and sat up, reaching his hand out for the bottle of wine. Reina handed it over easily and he filled his glass back up, despite still having quite a bit left from the last cup. “I just know it has to be done. I don’t want the school thinking I’m doing anything with anyone,” he said, then glanced over at her. “Unless I am.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well normally the goal is for nobody to know what you’re doing, fictional or not,” she laughed a bit and rolled her eyes as she took another drink. “Don’t stress yourself over it too much. The conversation may be a little weird, I’ll give you that, but it’ll set a new precedent on club behaviors versus what’s acceptable outside of it. Maybe we can text Kyoya since he does scheduling and let him in on what’s happening, and see what your schedule looks like for the rest of the week to see when it would fit in,” she suggested. “He may even have a suggestion or two on how it should be handled.” He picked up her phone to check the time and decided that it was still early enough that a phone call wouldn’t be completely out of the question. He grabbed his own phone off the nightstand and sent a quick text to Kyoya to see if he was awake, and after getting a response, Tamaki swiftly called him and put him on speakerphone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This had better not be club related,” Kyoya started as soon as he answered the phone. “I do enjoy my time off the clock, you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s very important,” Tamaki said, realizing that their overly poured glasses had already started to affect him. He knew that Kyoya would probably notice the difference in his voice, but pushed on anyway. He quickly filled Kyoya in, occasionally taking sips of his drink in between sentences. Reina sat against the pillows, easily finishing off her fourth glass. She leaned over Tamaki to take hold of the bottle once more, making him stutter for a moment while talking and his fingers itch to touch her as her body temporarily laid in front of him, but he held that back for the time being. Reina sat back upright and she poured out another drink for herself, just as overly poured as the rest of her glasses, if not more so. After Tamaki finished his story, which had been a little all over the place thanks to the alcohol, Kyoya let out a little sigh. Though there was sure to be an annoyed charade to come, everyone involved in the call knew he was sort of excited for the new task. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, out of the names you had said, two of them are booked in for tomorrow. I’m sure I could send an email to the third and tell her that a spot has just opened up for tomorrow, let me see,” he started, and typing could be heard through the phone. “Every time I’ve sent her a similar email, she’s always taken the earlier time slot. I’m sure this would be no different. Excuse me while I do that,” he said, and a much more vigorous typing ensued. After a short minute, the typing stopped. “Done with that portion of it. There’s one girl on your schedule set for tomorrow who was not on your list, so I’ll need to send out a cancellation email and let her know that we can squeeze her in the next day. Reina, do you plan to be in attendance for this event?” He asked, and Reina blinked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I seriously haven’t made a singular sound. How in the hell did you know I was here?” She laughed, the alcohol clearly having hit her as well. Tamaki cocked an eyebrow at her slightly slurred words and took the wine bottle back from her, setting it far aside on his nightstand and out of her reach, but he was chuckling softly as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki is much calmer than I would have expected in an incident such as this one, so I was sure you had been talking him off a ledge. Maybe with some assistance, might I add,” Kyoya remarked. Tamaki looked mortified, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but Reina burst into laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think I need to be there,” she said through her laughter, and Tamaki put on a little pout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d like it if you were,” he told her, and she shot him a little look, an eyebrow cocked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well I just got puppy eyes over here, so I guess I’ll be there, yeah,” Reina concluded, rolling her eyes softly as Tamaki’s pout swiftly turned into an excited grin. “Can I make the assumption that you’ll also be listening in, Detective Kyoya?” She asked, and there was a little pause before Kyoya spoke again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m thinking that tomorrow cannot run business as usual. I think all hosts will need to cancel their appointments and take the day off, or if they’re like me, stick around to listen in,” he said, more typing quickly taking over the phone call. “It wouldn’t be a great atmosphere for any guests if a confrontation is happening over at the other table.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And do you think this is a good idea?” Reina asked, taking another drink from her glass. She peered down into it, seeing how little was left and peeked over at the bottle on the nightstand, but Tamaki moved his entire body to shield her view from it with a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s a necessary evil,” Kyoya admitted. “We can’t have girls running around and lying about our club’s president, so although we may lose a few guests, it’s required to happen. Also, I just received an email from your third and final guest, and she said she’d take the spot for tomorrow. Everything should be set, now I just need to cancel all other meetings. We can figure out what to do with the rest of the girls on the two lists after seeing just how tomorrow goes, so I’ll let you two get back to whatever you’re doing,” he said, and with that, hung up. Reina finished off her glass as Tamaki set his phone aside. She glanced over at him, with another little playful pout. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Liquid Lust (40)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Another smut chapter. Only little details have been added, once again nothing you would miss too much if you skipped. I’ll be sure to add in some sort of recap in Reina’s POV in another chapter that recaps anything important in this one, just in case! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! &lt;3</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I cut off?” She asked, eyes darting behind him for a moment and he laughed a little. Tamaki reached out and grabbed the empty glass from her hand and brought it over to his nightstand. She was under the impression that he was going to give her more, but he simply set the glass down and turned back to her with a little nod. She pushed her lip out in a further pout, but he dismissed it completely as he moved his body in a swift motion. His arms were extended above her, hands gripping onto the headboard, and his knees were pressed into the mattress. With him now completely in front of her, she furrowed her eyebrows a little bit but her bottom lip stayed in her little pout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look so cute like that,” he doted, eyes twinkling as he looked down on her. She was about to laugh, but held it in. Instead, Reina lifted her chin higher to look up at him more, pushed her lip out even further and batted her eyelashes a few times at him. “So cute,” he repeated, a million different thoughts springing into his head as he admired her. He watched as finally she cracked, giving him a big smile as she bit down on her bottom lip. “You look so cute like that, too,” he whispered, moving his head down to meet her neck and began to give it little kisses. Out of surprise, she let out a gasp, and he smiled against her skin. “Your noises are so cute,” he continued, pressing his lips against her again. He let his teeth nibble softly against the side of her neck and just as he was about to start working on a hickey, she took both her hands and pressed against his chest lightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t put it there,” she giggled softly. “Everyone will see.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good,” he mumbled, letting his teeth lightly press into her skin, but eventually continued to move down to a spot he knew would be covered by her school uniform. “I want everyone to see, and I want everyone to know I put it there. I’ll sign my name next to it,” he said softly before beginning to work on the new spot he had picked. She let out a small little laugh, but it was soon replaced with another little gasp. He moved his knees forward, forcing her legs to bend, so she wrapped her legs around his waist. One of her hands grabbed onto his arm that was still holding onto the headboard while the other moved through his hair. He used his chin to push her shirt down slightly, moving to another spot further down on her chest. Once he finished on that spot, he gazed up at her. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re a little drunk,” she told him, her voice small and quiet as she pushed his bangs out of his face gently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>think </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>he’s just drunk, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself. He shook his head a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” he responded, moving his head back up and pressed his lips into hers. She moved her hand down to his cheek, cupping it as he bit down on her lip. His hips had already started pressing into her, making tiny thrusts every once in a while. She tugged on the arm she had hold of and he removed his grip from the headboard, moving it down to her leg. Slowly, he moved his hand up and down the side of her thigh, pushing her shorts up a little higher each time he made it back to them. Reina noticed that he was beginning to get rougher, all the way from his kiss to the thrusts he was sending her way to the grip he had on her thigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s so unexpected out of him, but I love this side.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She pushed her chest against his and threw one arm around his neck, the other hand reaching down to begin to rub him through his pants. As she expected, she could feel how hard he already was, and as her hand made contact with it, she could feel his dick twitch even through all the constricting layers. Tamaki let out a little moan against her lips, roughly throwing himself into her hand. Finally she was able to pull herself away from his kiss, despite his obvious protests against it, and moved both her hands down to pull his clothes off. He sat back up straight and tugged his shirt off in a swift movement, then began to work on pulling her clothes off as quick as he could possibly manage. His fingers were fumbling slightly, a mix of the alcohol and adrenaline kicking in, but he successfully pulled everything except her bra and underwear off. Sitting back on his shins, he looked over her body in the same awe he always seemed to have while looking at her. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything about you is so perfect,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he told her in French, and she smiled softly up at him, resting her hands against his arms as he moved his hands up and down her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Do you always speak in French when you’re horny?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She teased, expecting some sort of blush or embarrassment out of him, but he simply moved his hands down to the band of her underwear and gave an abrupt tug, slipping them down her hips and to her bent knees in a fluid motion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Only you would know, my love,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he reminded her, taking the bottom half of her legs and slipping her out of the material completely, then tossed them aside. Reina blinked up at him, her cheeks beginning to burn up with a whole mix of emotions. Tamaki grabbed onto one of her legs and straightened it out, raising her foot up to his face. He placed a few kisses on the top of her foot, using both hands to give it a light massage before moving his way up her leg. Lingering in each spot for a while, he made his way all the way up until his face was right in between her legs. He stopped for a quick moment to glance up at her. Once they made eye contact, Tamaki lifted his hand up and mimicked what she had shown him to do their first time. He used two fingers and began to rub at the spot that he thought was correct. As soon as he heard Reina’s soft little moan and watched her head lay back, he knew he was right. Tamaki’s fingers moved slowly, almost teasingly, and he basked in confidence as he felt her legs start to slightly shake next to him. Looking forward, he took a little breath as he was about to enter new territory. After a quick moment, Tamaki leaned in and pushed the tip of his tongue into her entrance, but was quickly stopped by Reina shooting up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t have to do that,” she said quickly, giving him a nervous smile. He just stared up at her, clearly confused. “I’ve just never really liked receiving. I promise, you don’t have to.” He thought about it for a moment, then smiled softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to try. I want to make you feel good,” he told her, using his free hand to reach up and grab hers. “You can stop me at any time.” She thought about it for a moment before nodding. She held onto the hand he had given to her and pulled it up to her lips, giving his knuckles a quick kiss before taking both his pointer and middle finger and extending them. She glanced down at him, knowing her next move would probably come off as weird, but took both of them in her mouth, wetting them for him and pulled them out quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Use your fingers first,” she said with a nod. He blinked as his face pinkened, and he took a little breath as he pulled his hand back down, nodding back at her. He glanced back at his wet fingers and bit his lip, having to take yet another shaky breath, both to prepare and also to calm himself down from how much he strangely liked her doing that. Tamaki placed his fingers right at her slippery entrance, beginning to move his second hand in small little circles again. Reina laid herself back down, letting out another soft moan at the stimulation he was giving her, and that immediately gave him the motivation to plunge his fingers inside. Her legs instantly tensed up around him and she pulled her hand up to her mouth, pressing her palm to her lips. He pulled his fingers in and out, twisting them every once in a while as he started to get the hang of it, going faster each time Reina let out a little whimper or moan. After about a minute, Tamaki pulled his now dripping fingers out. He glanced down at them and in a quick decision, licked them clean before grabbing hold of the inside of one of her thighs and made his way down. With one more glance at her, never stopping his circling fingers, his mouth made its way back to her entrance. Starting off slow, Tamaki started to lick up some of the mess he had made by pulling his fingers out, then slowly let his tongue slide in. With his free hand, he continued to stroke her tensed up leg, listening to her hitched breathing and soft whimpers each time he flicked his tongue in and out of her. After a few moments, he glanced up at his circling fingers and decided to make an adjustment. In one quick motion, he lifted his fingers from her clitorus and let his tongue take their place, giving her a quick lick before beginning to softly suck on it, his fingers moving back down to pump in and out of her. Reina’s back arched and she let out a loud moan, though her hand muffled a good portion of it. “Tamaki,” she moaned out as softly as she could, lifting her hand only for a moment. Chills went down Tamaki’s spine at the sound of his name coming out of her mouth, and he closed his eyes tighter as he continued. “That feels so good,” she was finally able to breathe out, her breath hitching with each word. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> feel so good, Tamaki,” she added, biting down on her lip as another soft whimper came through. He began to flick his tongue against her lightly and felt her slight jerks each time he did. His free arm snaked up her body, grabbing hold of the elbow of the arm she had covering her mouth, and he pulled her hand off, bringing it down to play with his hair. Reina bit down on her lip even harder, determined not to be too loud, despite what he had said about how nobody would hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Say my name again,” he pleaded, lifting his mouth from her only to speak before plunging right back in. She gripped onto his hair, making sure not to pull too hard. He reached his free hand under her thigh and lifted it, placing one of her legs on his shoulder and nudged her to move the other, which she easily obeyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she called out, finally finding the strength to speak again, though her voice wavered greatly. “Please, Tamaki, keep going,” she moaned softly, her legs beginning to tense up even more around him. Tamaki’s hand planted itself against her hip, slightly digging his nails into her skin as he sped up his process. He continued to move his fingers in and out, occasionally lingering just outside her entrance before shooting his fingers back in. He pulled his mouth away for a split second, allowing his tongue to make circles around her clitorus teasingly, and she let out another soft whimper. “Don’t tease me, Tama,” she whined, gripping onto his hair a little tighter. He had to hold in a laugh, knowing that up above him, she definitely was wearing that same pout that started all this in the first place. He went right back into his original position, feeling as her back began to arch again, and he could hear her breathing start to pick up. Her legs around his head began to shake pretty heavily as short little moans fell out of her lips. After only a few more moments of Tamaki working on her, she let out one last moan, her back hitting the bed once more and her legs relaxed against his shoulders. He pulled his head back and slowly pulled his fingers back out of her, glancing up at her. She was still biting her lip, eyes closed tightly. He moved to go back to sitting on his knees, still in between her legs, and she finally opened her eyes to look up at him. She reached her hands out for him, and once he took them, she pulled herself up to him. Her legs wrapped around his waist so he reached under her to hold her up, just as she used one of her arms to wrap around his neck. Tamaki pulled her body into his and looked into her eyes. She leaned forward and gave him a few pecks on the lips, but then moved back to look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you still want to?” He asked, trailing off after the last word, still uncomfortable with saying the last part out loud. She smiled softly, using her other hand to cup his cheek, then leaned over towards his ear on the opposite side of her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, I want you to have sex with me,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> her French whisper rang through his ear as she pressed her body against him tighter. He felt a cool chill fall down his spine and he pulled her further into him, closing his eyes as her sultry voice spoke again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“As long as you still want to,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she clarified, and he nodded much quicker than she had been anticipating. Reina let out a little giggle then turned back to look at him and gave him yet another peck on the lips. “Go get a condom and sit down against the headboard,” she ordered quietly, back to Japanese. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sit down? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wondered, but gave her a little nod as he set her back down on the bed and did as he was told. After retrieving the condom, he sat in the middle of the king sized bed. Reina reached around to her backside, finally unhooking her bra and pulling it off of her body, then cast it aside on the bed. As she moved towards him, he decided to put the condom on himself, to save some time as his dick was twitching in a desire for her attention. Reina climbed on top of his lap, sitting up on her knees which landed right at his hips, but she remained hovered above him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I love to hear you talk to me in French. Will you continue that?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He asked, his hands running to her hips as soon as the condom was secured. Reina nodded softly, then leaned in, her lips stopping just before his own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Of course, daddy,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she teasingly said, and his eyes shot wide open at the mention of the nickname she had called a kink earlier during their trip to the water park. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Is that okay to call you?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She asked, her voice still low as she looked at him through her messy bangs. Slowly, after only a moment of thought, he nodded only once before pushing his head forward and capturing her lips with his. Reina set both her hands on his shoulders, holding tightly onto the top of them as his grip tightened on her hips. While keeping him entertained in their passionate kiss, she began to lower herself, slipping him inside her with ease. He groaned softly against her, his nails beginning to dig into her skin. She moved herself up and down, slowly to begin, letting her hands fly through his hair but kept her elbows pressed to the top of his shoulders. Reina pulled away from the kiss just as she picked up her speed. She laid her head against her bent arm, her head facing in towards him and her nose lightly pressed against the side of his neck. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re so big, you feel so good inside me,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she moaned softly as she let herself fall back down, taking his entirety in. Tamaki let out his own little moan, using his hands to guide her now, slowly lifting her and then pulling her back down onto him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Reina, my love,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mumbled her pet name in English, shortly followed by another deep groan as he pulled her back down, as far down as he could take her. Reina moved her lips to his neck, leaving soft kisses as she tugged on his hair softly. She pressed her chest up against his, her hard nipples bouncing against him each time she was tugged back down by his shaking hands. His breath hitched softly when she bit down softly on his neck. She made sure the bite was in a safe spot, weary of his school uniform and whether or not her marks could be hidden or not. After a few more soft bites, Tamaki pushed the top half of her body away from him, stopping her before she could leave any real marks on him. His head ducked down and he took one of her nipples in his mouth, getting a quick gasp out of Reina as he began to suck. She continued to bounce up and down on him, heavily assisted by his eagerly helpful hands, and she let her head fall forward with a soft little moan, her lips lingering near his ear. Just as Tamaki moved over to her other nipple, he couldn’t help to start thrusting his own hips, synching them with her own movements. Reina let out another gasp, this time much louder than any of the other ones, so Tamaki quickened his pace at the sweet sound of her obvious pleasure. She had stopped moving and he had completely taken over, pulling himself up at the same time that he pulled her own hips down, and swiftly repeating the process. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re so good to me,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she quietly cried out, eyes tightly shutting as little tears began to form. The alcohol had started to hit her more on the emotional side, and all her thoughts started to swirl in the midst of his rough thrusts and bites to her nipple. She glanced down, watching his head slightly bob and down with all their movements, and she let her cheek rest against the top of his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m so lucky, Tamaki,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she whispered into his hair, barely audible over his own moans and rough breaths. She closed her eyes again, tears threatening to fall, both over the pleasure he was giving her and from her new revelations that were coming to light in the moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve never felt this way before with a guy. I’ve never felt this way </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>about</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> a guy. How much did I drink again? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Reina, I’m close,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he pushed out, grabbing onto her hips extra tightly as he began to move faster, thrusting his hips into her at a much more roughened pace, getting a much louder moan out of Reina. She pushed him away from her chest, moving them back to their original position face to face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I want you to cum for me,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she softly said before pressing her lips to his. Their kisses had always had a lot of passion in them, but Tamaki felt different in this one. Reina’s movements were much softer than they normally were. Her arms had loosely wrapped themselves around his neck, one hand was holding the back of his head firmly while the other was toying with little strands of his hair. With a few final thrusts, Tamaki’s pace began to slow down as his climax came, letting off a little moan against her soft lips. He tried to pull away from her, to move out from underneath her, but she just pulled him closer. Tamaki’s hands moved from her hips up to her waist, pressing her body firmly against his. As he tilted his head slightly, his cheek grazed hers and was met with a small strip of damp skin. He tightened his grasp on her waist, tugging her back as he threw his head back to look at her. Reina slowly opened her eyes to look at him, another tiny tear whipping down her cheek as she did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” He asked quietly, his eyebrows furrowed as he lifted one of his hands up to wipe the tear from her soft skin. Reina smiled softly at him, moving one of her own hands to cup his cheek as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, it just - felt really good,” she admitted, with a little laugh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s not a lie. Nothing’s wrong, and it did feel good, it’s just not exactly why I’m crying. At least, not completely. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His cheeks tinted to a light pink as he let out his own little embarrassed laugh, giving her a nod. Reina leaned forward and gave him one more little peck on the lips before climbing off of him and moved to his side. “Tomorrow isn’t going to be fun,” she mentioned, wiping one last tear from her face before glancing at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s not think about the confrontation right now,” he said softly, grabbing her body to his and laying them both down on the oversized bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was actually referring to waking up in the first place,” she mused, glancing up at him as he blinked back down at her. “It’s late.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter how little sleep I’ve had, it will always be glorious to wake up next to you,” he pointed out before giving her a few more kisses and then dropping his head onto the pillow, both arms wrapped around her. “But you’re right, we’d better sleep,” he added with a little yawn. “We can get coffee. Goodnight, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, daddy,” she teased, laughing a little bit as he let out a little huff. She waited until she was sure he had closed his eyes before glancing up at him. Somehow, even after all the tugging on it, his hair was still perfectly intact. His eyes were shut and his face looked more than calm, almost blissful. Reina had to refrain from reaching up to touch his face just to remind herself that it was real, as he almost looked statue-esque in front of her. So perfectly sculpted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, perfect.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina bit down on her lip as she closed her eyes, moving her head to force herself to look away from him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope that this is just the alcohol speaking. If it’s not, then I’m fucked.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Host Club Confrontation (41)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty One</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Tamaki asked from across the room as he began to button up his dress shirt. His voice somehow held both curiosity and reprimand in it, as if he was just confirming what he already knew. Reina, who was already in her uniform and had already applied her makeup, glanced up at him. She had her phone in her hands and had ceased her typing at his question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m texting my driver?” She answered, furrowing her eyebrows a bit, and he cocked an eyebrow at her. “So I can go pick up our coffee before school?” She said in an obvious tone once again, scrunching her nose up a little bit. “We already stayed in bed for too long, we’re not going to have time to eat breakfast and also get coffee, I’m just thinking about time management.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll go together. Breakfast is never long, and I won’t force you to eat too much,” he sang the last part, making sure she knew she would be partaking in the meal. Reina’s face fell, but she sighed softly and dropped her phone back to her side with a little nod his way. Tamaki beamed as he threw his school jacket on, then held his hand out for her from across the room. “Come along, my sweet beam of sunshine!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a new one from you,” she giggled as she walked to him, taking his hand in hers, and he led her to the door. “Though I normally hear it as </span>
  <em>
    <span>Rei of sunshine</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she explained in English.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s a good one!” He grinned once translating, and she let out a little laugh, shaking her head softly. Tamaki led her down the staircase and towards the dining hall, the couple soon facing a smiling Yuzuru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, good morning,” he said, standing from his seat as the couple made their way to their seats across from him. “How nice of you to ride all the way here this morning just to join breakfast with us. I know you weren’t here last night, since you never came by to say hello,” he teased, giving Reina a little wink as her eyes widened a little. “I’ll have them bring out a spare plate,” he said as he sat back down, and Reina shook her head a bit as she and Tamaki took their seats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, thank you, you don’t need to do that,” she smiled as she picked up a half slice of toast from the middle of the table, and raised it with a little smile. “I’m not all too hungry, this should be good.” Yuzuru nodded, but flagged down a staff member and asked for another plate despite her words, getting a big grin from Tamaki and a scrunched nose from Reina. Tamaki, after filling his own plate up, began to add stuff to Reina’s empty one once it made its way to the table. “Thank you, that should be good,” she said quickly after he had added another full slice of toast and some fruit to her plate. He shot her a little look, but ultimately nodded as she began to eat what he had given her, taking the victory there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you two have a busy day ahead of you?” Yuzuru asked, which made Reina and Tamaki exchange a glance at each other. Reina didn't think Tamaki would want to explain the situation to his dad. Tamaki on the other hand, realized he might be breaking his promise about breakfast not taking a long time, because he was ready to tell his dad about - mostly - everything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going to believe the afternoon we’re going to have to have,” Tamaki started, Reina’s eyes widening a little bit at his words. Yuzuru turned to Tamaki, completely enthralled as Tamaki began to explain everything. He began with Reina throwing a little game party, and about Himari and that whole situation. He mentioned that Emica had told Reina there were a lot of girls who had been with him - but withheld the reasoning why the conversation came up in the first place - and told his dad all about how the girls had been lying, so he was going to confront three of them today during club hours. Yuzuru nodded every so often, taking bites occasionally, but much more interested in his son and the story he was telling. Reina had finished off the majority of her plate, but not quite all of it by the time Tamaki finally concluded. She obviously already knew the story, but found it interesting to hear everything from his perspective with his opinions sprinkled in. Yuzuru nodded a little, finally letting out the small laugh that had been hiding during his son’s recollection of the last few week’s events. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it seems nothing can ever go smoothly for you,” Yuzuru pointed out. “You always have something peculiar going on. And Reina, what do you have planned for the afternoon?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess the same thing that he has going on. I didn’t really want to be in attendance, since it’s not really my place. However,” she said, turning to Tamaki who had already commenced his puppy dog eyes at the mention of her not wanting to be there. She simply motioned over to the blonde, making Yuzuru laugh once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you two are going to both be spending the afternoon together, then it makes it easier for you to just jump back in the same car and join me for dinner tonight,” he slyly commented, making Tamaki perk back up and give a nod. Yuzuru checked his watch before taking another swig of his drink and standing. “I definitely would love to hear the outcome of this mess, and I think that both of you would be able to tell the story together. If you’ll excuse me, I need to start working soon, and I think you two need to get to school if you plan to get there before your class starts.” Tamaki checked his phone, then swiftly stood as well. “See you both tonight,” Yuzuru called as he walked out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span> let’s get going,” Tamaki said, holding his hand out for her. She smiled as she took it, and the two rushed to the foyer to grab their bags and they each slipped out the door. Once in the car, Tamaki turned to the driver. “We have to run by the coffee shop quickly before going to school,” he informed, to which the driver simply nodded and headed that way. Reina cocked an eyebrow at him, but he turned to her and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “I promised,” he reminded her, getting a little smile back from her. They soon arrived at the coffee shop and they each climbed out of the car, both of them moving quickly, still trying to get to school on time. When they entered, Dai was already moving to the register, sending the two a little wave and a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey pretty girl, did you bring another brother to come intimidate me?” He asked, letting a little laugh loose as he eyed Tamaki up and down. Tamaki just remembered the conversation that had happened on Friday and easily pieced together that this must be the guy who had been flirting with Reina. His fight or flight response was triggered, and he wrapped one of his arms around the girl on his side, face blank looking back at Dai. Reina rolled her eyes, handing her card over to Dai. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not a brother, no. Just my regular, please, and,” she started, then paused, looking up at Tamaki. It took him a moment to process why she had stopped talking, but he quickly jumped in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just two of those,” Tamaki responded, still watching Dai. The barista nodded as he wrote onto the cups and sent them off to those who were making drinks, then started to charge Reina’s card. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yours is on me again. You haven’t been in since Friday, I missed seeing you in here,” he teased, grabbing Reina’s receipt and handing it to her with her card. Reina let out a tiny, uncomfortable laugh as she felt Tamaki’s arm tighten around her. “Your brothers really didn’t like me, huh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They called you old,” she shrugged a bit, glancing up at Tamaki with a quick smile. Dai scoffed from behind the counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not old. I still have a few years before I hit 30, </span>
  <em>
    <span>then</span>
  </em>
  <span> they can call me that,” he retorted with a little eye roll. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A few years? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure they’ll be excited for that day. Exactly how long until they can come in and call you old, then?” Tamaki spoke up, causing both of the other parties to look at him, though only Reina noticed the small sense of desperation in his voice. “I can pass the message along.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to burst their bubbles, but they still have about two years before that deadline,” Dai said with a little laugh, glancing over to Reina and sending her a wink. “But you can keep bringing them in until then, if you want. I think your drinks are ready, I’ll see you next time, pretty girl!” He called out as he started heading to the backroom to restock, casting a short glance behind his shoulder to Tamaki, who was also watching him. Reina tugged Tamaki over to the handoff plane and grabbed both the drinks, handing one of them to him and then tugged him back out towards the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re totally going to be late,” she sighed, looking up at him after they both had climbed into the car. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should be okay on time, we might just be walking in right as class is beginning,” he said, then glanced over at her. “A business tactic, huh?” Reina blinked, then realized what he had meant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah,” she said with a nod. He furrowed his eyebrows a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But he gave you the drink for free. And he said ‘again’, meaning he’s done it before,” Tamaki pointed out as Reina shrugged a little and took a sip of her drink. “That doesn’t sound too financially responsible to me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but I rarely go alone or at least leave with one drink. I pick one up for you, or I come in to get the entire host club drinks like on Friday, stuff like that. So one drink that probably costs less than a fourth of what they sell it for I get for free, and then almost always get more than one. It really does make sense, Tamaki,” she explained with yet another shrug. Reina glanced up at him, his eyebrows still furrowed as if he was still thinking everything over. “I accidentally left a tip the first time I came in and he said my drink was free because of the money that I had left. I’m not sure how many drinks the cash could pay for, but still. I don’t think it really matters anyway. I’m not gonna date the coffee shop guy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d hope you wouldn’t! He said he was 28!” Tamaki recalled, just now remembering that, and Reina rolled her eyes a little bit. “You can’t date an older man.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I remember correctly, you’re older than me,” she teased, giving him a little wink, but he simply grimaced in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A month older,” he corrected. “Not more than a decade.” The car stopped outside Ouran Academy and Reina looked out the window, sighing out of relief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“People are still outside, so we’re not late at least,” she thought out loud, grabbing her backpack from the ground of the car and looked back up at Tamaki. He let out a little sigh as he grabbed his own, but then perked up as he remembered something. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone will see Reina and I getting out of the same car. The rumors will start to die down after today, and everyone will know that I’m only talking to Reina,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself. Tamaki, with a new pep in his step, swung the car door open with such enthusiasm, as if revealing to the world his prized possession. He nearly jumped out of his seat and out onto the ground outside, already receiving a few glances in his direction. Reina let out a little giggle at him, swinging her bag over her shoulder and climbing out as well. “That was a quick attitude change.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just was remembering how lucky I am, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he beamed down on her, shutting the car door and shifting his coffee into his other hand in order to grab her own hand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lucky, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if he heard that last night, I didn’t think he did. I told him I was so lucky to be there with him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina gave him a weak little smile before peeking around at her surroundings, noticing the large amount of people staring at the couple. Tamaki took a tighter grip on her hand as he began to lead her up the steps of the school, pulling her towards their classroom. She noticed some whispers, but couldn’t make out any words as the two passed by everyone too quick for her to really hear anything. They walked silently, though both of their minds were reeling. Tamaki, on one hand, was thinking about how great this situation was. Walking in with her, being able to get rid of the rumors later in the evening. Tamaki felt like his life and this relationship were falling together. Reina, on the other hand, was running through the events and her thoughts from the night prior. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I woke up, no longer tipsy, and I still feel the same way I did before. I still feel lucky to be with him, holding his hand, spending the night with him, enjoying breakfast with him and his dad, showing up to school with him. But I’m not supposed to feel this way, I can’t like him as much as I’m starting to. Should I just stop talking to him? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She grimaced slightly, subconsciously squeezing his hand at the horrible idea. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Definitely not. I don’t think he would let me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, glancing up at him before looking back in front of her as they made their way into the 2-A classroom. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even if he let me, I wouldn’t want to stop talking to him. But that’s not good.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki led the couple over to their seats and sat Reina down, giving her a large and cheerful smile before taking his own seat. Reina began to pull out her work for their first portion of the class, but once it was on her desk, she just stared down at it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not good for me to not want to leave him, it’s a dangerous game I’m playing here. Nothing is guaranteed. And why the hell did I start crying? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All other meetings have been canceled for the day,” a voice from in front of her said. Reina picked up her pen and pretended to start writing, assuming it had been Mr. Goto, but she finally looked up when she heard someone clear their throat. Tamaki and Kyoya were both staring at Reina, who just blinked back. “I’ll go ahead and repeat myself. Everything is in order for the day. The only host who has guests is Tamaki, and they won’t be coming in until about half an hour after school ends so we’ll have some time to plan it out. All other meetings have been canceled for the day. So after your last class, you can meet us at the club room,” Kyoya repeated, pushing his glasses back up and Reina gave him a little nod of confirmation. Tamaki gave Reina a little grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can meet you at the theatre room, it’s on my way,” Tamaki lied, making a mental note of the fact that he would need to ask for permission to leave a few minutes early from his last class. Reina gave him a weak little smile and a nod. “We’ll talk to Emica during study hall.” Just as the words left his mouth, Mr. Goto stood at the front of the class to begin their lesson and all eyes - except Reina’s - turned to him. Reina looked back down at her notepad, staring down at the lines on it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if I could find a way to move mid-year. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She almost let out an audible sigh, but held it in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wouldn’t want to. I wouldn’t want to hurt him, and I also wouldn’t want to leave him. I’m fucked. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The meeting with Emica had gone pretty well. She clearly was confused by the fact that all these girls had been lying, but after processing that information, she agreed to be involved in the scheme. Throughout the study hall, Emica kept glancing over to Reina with </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> look - the look that Reina knew meant she would soon be explaining the status of her relationship with Tamaki to Emica, and probably very soon. Theatre class had been interesting, most especially when Himari pulled Reina aside to quietly admit to not actually being involved with Tamaki. Reina had let her in on the fact that she already knew that, and it was Himari’s job to tell everyone else that fact as well - Tamaki’s orders - which made her agree pretty quickly. Hiroto had sat with Reina for the period as opposed to going home and they quietly discussed what was going to be happening after the class was over. Hiroto seemed much more excited than Reina was, so she promised to fill him in on the events the next day. As Tamaki had promised, he was waiting outside the theatre room for Reina once she left, and they walked together. The theatre room was fairly far from the third music room, so they were the last to arrive, but she got to debrief Tamaki on the Himari situation, much to his surprise as they walked. Every host, alongside Emica, sat around in a circle in some couches and chairs, already discussing potential ideas now that Kyoya had explained everything. Reina and Tamaki joined them, but stood behind the couch where Emica and Haruhi sat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This whole thing is just gross, I can’t believe some of senpai’s guests would go this far,” Haruhi thought out loud, staring up at the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Technically we don’t know if it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> the boss’s guests,” Hikaru pointed out, relaxing back into his seat. Kaoru gave a little nod in agreement, though he looked a little more worried about it than Hikaru did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wonder if other girls are lying about the rest of us,” Kaoru asked. With those words, all eyes turned to Emica and she blushed up profusely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I don’t know,” she mumbled, glancing around at everyone. “I didn’t know I was outing anyone who told a lie, I thought they were telling the truth. So if I had heard anything, I wouldn’t know if it lines up with the truth or not,” she explained, met back with silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Basically, if all of you want to list off every person you’ve had sex with, she might know of some outliers who might be lying,” Reina added in, to which Emica gave a quick little nod, the blush remaining intact. There was a new, uncomfortable vibe in the air as the hosts seemed to think everything over, then then all decided to just remain silent, shaking their heads a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d be happy to help you all - individually, later,” Emica finally said, glancing over to Mori first before looking down at the ground. “If you want.” Mori hardly returned the eye contact, which almost made Reina wince. She glanced up at Tamaki, but he didn’t seem to notice the awkward encounter, so she tried to push it aside for the time being.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everyone can handle that later,” Kyoya noted, flipping through his notebook before looking at Tamaki. “How is it that you want to handle this?” He asked, and Tamaki beamed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you asked,” he said, pushing his hair back. “Because I have no idea. I’m hoping you all have some bright ideas.” Everyone in the room stared at him for a moment before Kyoya sighed, and conversation quickly ensued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time the three girls all entered the host club, everyone was in their places. Emica was already sitting with Tamaki. Reina had taken a seat with Haruhi at a nearby table, definitely in earshot. Tamaki had clarified to Reina that she didn’t need to actually be in on the conversation, he just wanted her in the room for moral support, which relaxed her a ton. Kyoya, Hikaru, and Kaoru were all at the couches next door, pretending to go over some paperwork. Honey and Mori weren’t so much pretending to do anything, they were just sitting at a table while Honey was eating some slices of cake and Mori sat silently, which was a normal occurrence and didn’t take much acting from either of them. The three - Anzu, Setsuko, and Kumiko - walked in together and headed straight towards Tamaki, seemingly unbothered by the fact that there were no other guests in attendance. The three sat, and Emica was not patient with her questioning. Reina winced slightly and looked to Haruhi, who seemed just as uncomfortable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel like my moral compass is broken,” Reina said quietly to Haruhi, who whipped her head in Reina’s direction, obviously using anything as a distraction to look away from the three girls who now looked more flustered than anything. “I feel like this is wrong, though really Tamaki was the one who was wronged. I just feel kinda bad for them, I guess, though I don’t think I’m supposed to,” Reina sighed, glancing back over at the scene in the middle of the room. Tamaki had yet to speak, he was just allowing Emica to ask them about what they had said and watched as the three girls tried to backtrack. “What do you think? Do you think this is too harsh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just a hard situation,” Haruhi shrugged after a little thought. “Like you said though, Senpai is the innocent one here, so if this is how he wants to handle it then I guess it’s okay.” Reina nodded a little bit, then sat back in her seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I notice you call him Senpai. Is that because he’s the president of the club?” She asked curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That and he’s older than me,” Haruhi nodded a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not too familiar with Japanese culture, or not enough I guess. He reminded me today that he is technically older than me, should I be calling him Senpai as well?” Reina asked, and Haruhi actually let out a little laugh, but kept it quiet enough to not disrupt the situation a few feet away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, maybe technically, but you don’t call your boyfriend Senpai,” she answered, still laughing a little bit. Reina blinked once, then let out a nervous little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s not my boyfriend though,” Reina pointed out, and Haruhi just gave her a little look. “I mean, he’s not. But just to make things easier, let’s pretend he and I were only classmates, nothing more. Would I still call him Senpai?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Normally, no, since you’re in the same class,” Haruhi finally answered, shaking her head a bit. “I mean, you could, but it’s not usual.” Reina nodded a little bit, glancing back over at the scene. Tamaki had begun talking. She really only picked up on the words ‘inappropriate’ and ‘violating’ before she glanced back away, letting out another sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So did you and Hikaru go on that date yet?” Reina asked, looking over at Haruhi, whose face dropped at the mention of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m hoping he forgets,” she responded simply, and Reina frowned softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why’s that? Do you not like him?” Reina asked, immediately worried for Hikaru’s feelings, but Haruhi quickly shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that, I just don’t have time for meaningless dates. I came to Ouran to achieve big things, so I like to spend my time studying,” Haruhi explained, folding her arms on the table as she watched Reina’s expression change to one that was a little softer than it just had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Reina said softly, giving Haruhi a little smile. “I know that may be what feels like the best thing to do is, but if you don’t give yourself time for other things, you’ll go crazy. The same goes for anything. If you jump headfirst into your work, you get burnt out, and your work gradually declines. There’s actually a phrase in America called the ‘sophomore slump’. You enter high school, you set yourself up for these really high expectations and hold your standards really high. By the next year, which in America is sophomore year, you’re so burnt out and tend to do way worse that second year,” Reina explained, giving Haruhi another little smile. “A few hours on a Saturday won’t impair your work at all, in fact it really only helps.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do other things,” Haruhi retorted, and Reina raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Other than the host club? Or chores? Errands? Because I would consider all of those work as well,” she told Haruhi, which made Haruhi’s face fall once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still, even so,” Haruhi sighed a bit. “I don’t need to be in a relationship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really, I think going out would do you some good. You and Hikaru are pretty close friends, right?” Reina asked. Haruhi seemed to think about it before slowly nodding. “I just went on a date recently with a guy. He’s really nice, and I really enjoy his company, but I feel we’re better friends,” she said, as if finally admitting it to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think the guilt is too heavy on my mind, and I don’t think I’m giving him a fair chance. Both of our dates consisted of conversations about Tamaki, and I think that’s pretty telling,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina seemed to just realize. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think we’re just good friends.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I still would go on another date with him, like a friendly one, because it was pretty fun to just hang out with a friend out somewhere,” Reina smiled softly, but Haruhi’s eyes widened as she glanced over at Tamaki, under the impression Reina had been referring to him. Reina caught on quickly and shook her head. “Different guy. Not Tamaki.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you don’t see Tamaki as a friend, then?” Haruhi mused a bit, kind of laughing. “So then, like a boyfriend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good try,” Reina laughed, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, at least think about it. If he mentions it, you should think about accepting. Though, I’m not sure you’ll have much of a choice on this particular date, considering Kyoya’s offer of reducing your debt,” Reina recalled, and Haruhi’s head hit the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgot about that,” she groaned, forehead pressed against the tabletop. Just as Haruhi was about to say something else, they heard the sound of footsteps and each girl glanced up to see the three guests leaving together, Tamaki and Emica each just watching as they left. As the door closed, everyone in the room stayed silent to ensure that the girls were down the hall before speaking again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how’d it go, boss?” Kaoru asked, and Tamaki gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. They all admitted to it, and apologized. I didn’t disband their memberships, so long as they stop spreading the rumor and also put it out there to anyone they told that it was untrue,” Tamaki explained, getting little nods from all the other hosts. Tamaki looked over to Reina, who gave him a soft smile. “I let them know that spreading rumors like that causes trouble for me, and that I have a love life outside of the host club that needs to be respected.” Emica turned to Reina at the words, raising her eyebrows with a little smile, quietly letting Reina know that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> knew now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well hopefully your conversation fixes this for everyone, if there are any other rumors,” Kyoya said, shutting his notebook shut. “Emica, if you could be so kind, we would love for you to text Reina with any girls you can remember that have said anything about the rest of us. Reina can send us our own lists individually,” Kyoya said, casting an innocent little smile to Reina, but she grimaced a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s as if he knows I’m avoiding handing my number out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try to think about anything I can remember,” Emica nodded as she stood, grabbing her bag and turning to Reina. “Are you staying?” She asked, and Reina cast a little glance to Tamaki. He was about to give her a little nod, but then a thought burst into his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! It’s much earlier than when the club normally ends! We all should go do something,” he smiled, standing up to look around. “As long as Reina is okay with hosting, we just had a really fun day with some of her theatre friends at her house,” he said, glancing over to Reina, who nodded a little bit with a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, we’re in,” the twins shrugged together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I’d rather go home,” Haruhi mumbled, and Reina shot her a little look. She immediately remembered the conversation they had just had, and let out a little sigh. “But I’ll come.” Everyone else in the room agreed, especially the enthusiastic Emica. The group all split off after a quick discussion. Everyone was going to go home separately to change - except for Reina and Emica, since Emica said she would just borrow some of Reina’s clothes, clearly a ploy to get information out of Reina. They called a car for Haruhi to make it easier for her to be on track with everyone else. Tamaki had volunteered himself and the twins to go pick up some snacks for everyone, and with that, everyone left on their own. Reina and Emica walked together down towards her car, and the moment they climbed in, Emica turned to her and let out a squeal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re dating Tamaki,” she said, a statement rather than a question. Reina let out a little laugh, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, kind of,” she said, shrugging a little. “But not really. Going on dates, hanging out, all that kind of stuff, just not official or anything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All that kind of stuff,” Emica repeated with a little smirk. “I caught that earlier during study hall. Tamaki said he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been a virgin, and then he looked at you. You can’t get anything past me! Not that you could hide it, showing up to school at the same time with the same cups from the same coffee shop.” She beamed, and Reina let out another little, but now uncomfortable laugh. She glanced up at the driver who was silently staring forward, continuing on the short drive. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to see this guy all the time, and now the poor dude has to hear about my sex life.</span>
  </em>
  <span> They pulled up to the Higurashi residence so they both climbed out and began walking up the steps. “How was it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s find you some clothes before we start gossiping,” Reina said, hoping she would forget about it once inside Reina’s room, but she figured that wouldn’t be the case. Reina led her up and once they were inside, Emica started to gaze around as Reina made her way to the closet. “Do you have a preference? Dress, leggings, anything like that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leggings probably,” Emica nodded, so Reina pulled out two pairs. Emica made her way over to the whiteboard and let out a laugh. “Oh wow, this is even a little much for me,” she said, glancing over at Reina. “You seem a little obsessed with this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jokes on you, he wrote that. In fact, he bought it,” she mused, and Emica’s eyes widened. Emica inspected the whiteboard a little closer and realized that it definitely was the messy handwriting of a man. Reina kept searching the closet, finally pulling out two regular tee shirts. She held each one up to Emica, letting her pick, and she picked a slimmer, plain yellow one, leaving the black band tee to Reina - as Reina had already expected would happen. Reina handed her the little outfit she had created for Emica, then stepped inside the closet so she could change. Emica took the hint and began to change outside the door as well. “He came over one time while I was already asleep and took it upon himself to decorate a little bit. He bought me a ton of stuff to decorate the room for my birthday,” Reina explained through the wall. Emica pulled the leggings up and grabbed the tee shirt, about to pull it over her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Girl, I think he loves you,” she told Reina, making Reina stop in the middle of pulling her own shirt on. “I don’t know if you were listening in, but he was really upset when talking about his ‘love life’. He said something about how those rumors could have ruined everything he had, and he kept looking at you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s just like that, he’s a really passionate guy,” Reina justified, finally pulling her shirt down the rest of the way. “How did it seem that conversation went, really? I wasn’t really listening.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It went fine, I think. He was nice about it, much nicer than I would have been - I’m done changing, by the way -” she interrupted, so Reina came back out with a little nod in thanks, leaning against the doorway to the closet. “They were really embarrassed, but that’s just what happens, I guess. All of them were surprised, but none of them tried to lie, which I think is what kept Tamaki from taking away their memberships. But like I said, he was really serious about letting them know he has his own relationship and didn’t want it ruined. I think they were all surprised. Admittedly, I’m surprised he admitted it. I always just thought that with the host club, they might have relationships but just be really quiet about it. That doesn’t seem to be the case,” Emica shrugged a little bit. Reina nodded softly. “You still didn’t tell me how it was,” Emica said with a grin. Reina sighed and stared forward, biting her cheek. Emica watched her expression, then frowned. “That bad, huh?” Reina hit her head against the doorway in a groan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good. I literally cried last night from how good it was,” Reina recalled, getting a loud scream out of Emica. “Like, the kind of sex that makes you think ‘Hm, maybe I could marry this guy. Committing to this one doesn’t sound all too bad’. Like, that kind of good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perfect! I know he’s in love with you, I just know it - you two are so totally going to get married, I’m calling it now,” Emica screamed, clapping her hands together a few times, but Reina shook her head quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I want to get married, so that’s a really scary thing to have happened to me,” Reina said seriously, but Emica simply laughed at how ridiculous she sounded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, it was his first time and it was that good? You must’ve been a virgin too then, right?” She asked, and Reina softly shook her head, which made Emica’s eyes widen. “You’re telling me it was that good and you had already had sex? That’s soulmate stuff right there,” Emica grinned, sending Reina back to her initial thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s also French, it could be that,” Reina mumbled, and Emica immediately rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. You two are gonna get married, and I better be a bridesmaid,” Emica responded, getting a little eye roll from Reina. Just as Reina was going to respond, she got a text. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hiroto: How did it go? Do I have to wait until tomorrow to hear about it? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina thought about it for a moment before deciding to send Tamaki a quick text. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Inebriated Positivity (42)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Two</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki was in the car on the way to the Hitachiin’s house when he received the text. He looked at it for a long moment, trying to think about his answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: do you mind if Hiroto comes over ? i told him about what we were doing at the host club today and texted to ask what happened, figured it would be easier if he just came over. He could hang with everyone. If not it's okay :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He bit the inside of his cheek in thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Technically I interrupted his time with her - but that's different because I'm me, clearly. On the other hand, he invited me yesterday. He even brought me back to Reina’s last night, I should probably repay him by saying yes,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought as he sent back a quick response saying he didn’t mind, but then stopped in his tracks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. Why did he take me back to Reina’s? I hadn’t thought of that. Does this mean they’re not really dating anymore? Now that I think about it, they seem really </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>friendly</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>. Just that.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A small little smile crept onto his lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe everything really is working out for us, for me and Reina to be together. I wonder if I’m getting that lucky.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His thoughts were interrupted by each twin opening the opposite car door and climbing in, pushing Tamaki to the middle - just to piss him off, really. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell was that for? Don’t you two want to sit by each other?” Tamaki demanded, glaring at each smirking twin who simply just shrugged. “Whatever, I have something more important,” he said, staring forward as the driver began to move the car towards the sushi restaurant they were picking up from. “He’s 28.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not catching your drift,” they said together after a long moment of silence. Tamaki grimaced a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The guy at the coffee shop. You guys were right, he’s much too old to be talking to my sweet Reina,” Tamaki declared, and each twin scowled when they finally realized what he was talking about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s disgusting, boss!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does he know she’s seventeen?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We went in this morning in our school uniforms, so it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out she’s anywhere from sixteen to eighteen,” Tamaki pointed out, making each twin shudder a little bit. “We can’t keep letting this creep prey on my Reina. What are we supposed to do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, she seems nice to him when she goes in, maybe she just needs to brush him off,” Hikaru shrugged, and Tamaki sent him a little glare. “I’m just saying, it’s much easier to convince her that it’s gross and she shouldn’t put up with it than it is to go intimidate some lousy barista.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s true, boss. How’d you figure out he was that old, anyway?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I asked him this morning when he was flirting with Reina,” Tamaki groaned as the driver pulled into the restaurant parking lot. “Reina didn’t seem to care, she still said it was just business and that she wasn’t going to date a guy at a coffee shop.” Kaoru opened the car door and climbed out first, the other two following out his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, that’s kinda true. I can’t imagine her going on a date with some random guy working a job like that,” Kaoru nodded, looking over at Tamaki as they made their way into the restaurant. “It’s gross, but as long as he doesn’t try anything else it should be okay, right?” Tamaki sent him another glare, but Kaoru raised his hands up in defense. “Just keep an eye on it, boss.” Tamaki sighed and walked up to the counter. He had already called in the order, so he quickly paid and the cashier handed the bags of food over to the three boys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, better idea. Instead of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> keeping an eye on him, why don’t you ask Kyoya to send someone to keep an eye on him for the day? If he flirts with everyone, then it’s nothing to worry about,” Hikaru suggested. Tamaki thought about it for a short moment before beaming and nodding a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>These twins can sometimes be useful. If things continue with the way they are, I may need to do that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time Tamaki and the twins had made it to the Higurashi residence, everyone else had already made themselves comfortable. Mori, Honey, Reina, and Hiroto had jumped into a Mario Kart game. Haruhi and Emica were both watching the screen, pretty interested in the match. Kyoya was standing against the pool table with a pool cue in his hand, but there were no pool balls actually on the table, and he was taking peeks over at the screen every once in a while. The atmosphere was much different than it had been with Reina’s theatre group. Instead of the loud trash talking and yelling, it all was much more calm - though, Tamaki knew that was likely to change now that the three of them had arrived. Reina was the first to notice the new guests and she shot them a little wave, almost falling off the track in the process, so she swiftly threw her hand back at the controller to steady her player. The three boys set the bags down on the table before making their way over to watch the game on the screen. It seemed like everyone, especially Mori, was taking it easy to give Honey a chance to place. Honey wasn’t doing a bad job, he just wasn’t being nearly as aggressive as Tamaki knew the others could be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fifth place, Reina? You lost your touch, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki teased, and she shot him a little look. Hiroto let out a little laugh and nudged her a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you suck today,” he added, but also clearly joking. He had picked up on how all of them were taking it down a notch for Honey’s sake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna beat both of your asses if you end up in a game with me, so better hope you don’t,” she said, eyes not leaving the screen but she stuck her tongue out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We want to play next,” the twins said together, taking a seat on the ground in front of Reina and Hiroto’s feet. As the game ended, controllers were passed around and people traded in to play. Haruhi and Emica both opted to stay out another time, but Emica promised she would try at least once throughout the day. Tamaki took a seat next to Reina, sandwiching her in between himself and Hiroto, just like he had the day prior. After a few more games, everyone began to dig into the sushi. After realizing what the food was, Hiroto caught Reina’s nose scrunch and couldn’t help but laugh at her, but she ignored him as she looked through the options hesitantly. Reina had picked out a few pieces that she thought she had liked from yesterday, but shortly after trying a few of them, she handed her plate over to Hiroto once more, who happily took it. Everyone began in their own conversations, and Hiroto quietly leaned over to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I ended up picking up some of the other stuff you mentioned yesterday,” he whispered, and she glanced over at him. “It’s in the car, if you want to go smoke.” She blinked and nodded very quickly, clearly excited. Hiroto let out a little laugh before glancing around the room. “You think anyone else here wants to join?” He asked, and Reina looked around. The twins were still sitting in front of them, and Hikaru was currently in a heated debate with Tamaki over something trivial, so Reina leaned down to Kaoru. She whispered that Hiroto had weed, and asked if anyone here smoked, and Kaoru furrowed his eyebrows as he looked around the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be surprised if Mori did, but probably alone,” Kaoru whispered back, ignoring Tamaki’s glances at the pair, even in the middle of his debate. “Me and Hikaru will though. We don’t often, but we have,” Kaoru added with a little nod, setting his plate aside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should I ask everyone?” Reina asked, and Kaoru let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki will freak out, so probably not,” he shrugged as he stood, nudging Hikaru. “You know boss, I think you’re right. Sorry we argued with you,” he said. Both Hikaru and Tamaki looked dumbfounded, but Hikaru seemed to catch on slightly as he nodded and stood. “But I think Kyoya agreed with us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No he didn’t,” Tamaki quickly rebutted, then turned to Kyoya, who had actually picked up one of the controllers in preparation for the next game, alongside Haruhi, Honey, and Mori. “Did you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did sort of, yes,” Kyoya said dully, making Tamaki’s eyes shoot open and he turned back into another tirade on whatever he had been arguing in the first place. Hiroto noticed that Kaoru had done and chuckled just a bit as he stood, followed by Reina. As Tamaki was thoroughly distracted, Reina turned to the rest of the group and mouthed ‘We’ll be back’. She got back a few nods, but Emica jumped up and headed over to the group, deciding to go with, despite not knowing if she was invited. Hiroto led the group out of the room and back out towards his car. Once they were sure that they were out of earshot of the room, Reina turned to Emica. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if you’re interested, but we’re going to smoke,” she said cautiously. Emica blinked, but then gave a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t partake, but I’ll hang out with you guys while you do if you don’t mind,” she grinned, and everyone in the group gave a little nod. They all climbed into the car. Reina had opted to take the backseat with the twins, in case Emica would be uncomfortable with it. The twins did the same as they had done with Tamaki by forcing her to sit in the middle of them, though she didn’t seem even a tiny bit agitated as Tamaki had been. Hiroto reached between Emica’s knees, giving her a little bit of a sorry as he opened up the glove compartment and pulled out all the components. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a pipe or anything, does anyone know how to roll?” Hiroto asked, a little sheepishly, and Reina grinned a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can!” She exclaimed, grabbing the items from Hiroto’s hands. She moved herself onto the floor of the car, both twins moving their legs to accommodate her as she started working on the seat to get their weed securely wrapped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m kinda surprised, you don’t seem like the type, Reina,” Emica noted, then glanced around the car. “I’m not too surprised about the rest of them,” she laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I lived in The Netherlands last year, so my friends and I took frequent trips to Amsterdam. There were actually coffee shops that sold weed all throughout the country, though that’s not really as known. It just was more fun with a lot of tourists, like a fun little trip,” Reina explained, just as she had finished personally grinding up the weed enough to fit better on the wrap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t it illegal for anyone under 18 to go to those coffee shops?” Hikaru asked, and Reina laughed a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to be surprised when I say this, but it’s actually illegal for everyone. Holland is kind of weird - weed is illegal, but considered a soft drug as opposed to a hard drug, so the repercussions are minimal to none. You can still get in trouble either way,” she explained, then glanced up at the twins to find their confused expressions. “The weed factors for over 50 percent of their tourism, so it’s just relaxed on those establishments in order to continue getting that tourism revenue. It’s much easier to get away with it if you just go there, smoke, and leave. Of course that’s not what we did, we would hide some away to bring home, but still. With our fake IDs, we were pretty safe inside those shops,” Reina finished speaking just as she had finished with their joint, so she moved back onto her seat and handed everything back to Hiroto. “Thank you, by the way. I have cash inside so just remind me before you leave and I’ll reimburse you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reimburse me,” he laughed a little at her formal phrasing. “You’re fine, I’m smoking too,” he reminded, glancing back at her. She shrugged a little just as he grabbed the lighter and lit the end of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll just give you the money to pay for the next batch,” she smiled, sitting back in her seat, then glanced between the twins. “So you two have been high before?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but never with other people,” Hikaru said, glancing over at Kaoru who nodded. “We had just bought some one day and brought it home. It was fine, I guess.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was fun,” Kaoru smiled a bit, watching as Hiroto offered the joint to Emica, who politely declined, then he passed it back to Reina first. “We might suck at Mario Kart afterwards, though,” Kaoru laughed, and Reina had to hold in her own just as she had inhaled. Reina peered into the front of the car and noticed Hiroto and Emica had started in on their own conversation, so she glanced over at Hikaru just as she exhaled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, when are you asking Haruhi on that date?” Reina quietly asked, as she passed the joint over to Kaoru. Hikaru looked startled, but raised his chin up a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m Kaoru,” he lied, smirking only a little. Reina rolled her eyes as she sat back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not. But fine. When’s Hikaru going to ask Haruhi on that date, then?” She asked. Kaoru started to cough on her other side, his hand reaching over to hand Hikaru the joint, which he quickly took without answering Reina’s question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know the difference between us?” Kaoru asked, and Reina turned to him and shrugged a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t really have an answer for you. I have twin brothers, and have just had to pick up on tiny things. Your voice is normally softer than Hikaru’s is,” she explained, some coughs coming from behind her. “Like in terms of mannerisms. Hikaru is a little more abrasive,” she pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell does that even mean? Haruhi said that too,” Hikaru asked, handing the joint back up to the distracted Hiroto. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, you just proved my point,” Reina laughed a bit, sitting forward so she could glance between the two, who just stared back at her. She let out a little laugh. “This is mean, and that’s why I didn’t do it with you two, but I lied to my brothers about how I knew which one is which. I told them that one of them has an invisible monster on their shoulder that only I can see, and they both freaked out to figure out which one. Everytime I come back home, they ask me if the monster is still there, and I always say yes. I figured I would do the same thing once they got older, switching out monsters for other things, like saying one of them has a lazy eye even though neither of them do.” She took the joint back from Hiroto as he passed it back, ignoring the twin’s glances to one another. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s evil,” they said together, and Reina shrugged a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are big sisters for?” She asked before inhaling, taking an extra long time, then closed her eyes as she held the smoke in her lungs, handing the joint back over to Kaoru blindly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is kind of funny to tell someone they have a lazy eye if they don’t, maybe I’ll tell the boss, he’ll freak out,” Hikaru thought out loud, clearly already a little high and Reina couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth with both hands as smoke poured out and a ton of harsh coughs came through. Hiroto and Emica were pulled out of their conversation to look at the teary-eyed girl in the back seat, who was somewhere in the middle of laughing and coughing. Kaoru had just barely inhaled when Reina started her fit, but he couldn’t help but laugh as well, soon ending up with the same fate as she did. He turned his head to the side towards the window, coughing mostly, but little laughs coming out as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina finally got out in English, still laughing a little bit. “Speaking of him, I’m surprised he hasn’t come out here yet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he’s thinking about it,” Kaoru finally said, glancing over at Hiroto, who seemed unbothered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Isn’t this the guy that the boss said went on a date with Reina? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaoru realized, eyebrows furrowing, but he shook the thought away with a simple shrug. “We probably should go back in soon,” he said out loud, watching as the noticeably shorter joint made its way back to Hiroto. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We only have probably one more round left on this,” Hiroto pointed out. “We can go back after that, if that works,” he said before inhaling, and everyone nodded. The joint made one more round, but still had a little bit left in it, so the twins decided they were out and left the rest for Reina and Hiroto. Emica had decided to venture back inside with the twins when they made their departure, so Reina moved up to the front seat so she and Hiroto could finish it off. He looked over at her as he handed it back to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I thought about it after dropping Tamaki off, and I feel like if this isn’t a sign, nothing is, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself, braving himself for the next words. “Can we talk?” He asked quietly. She furrowed her eyebrows but nodded, moving her body to face him. “So, with us,” he started, trailing off slightly as she took a short little hit. “And the whole, dating other people thing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm?” She asked after he had remained silent for a moment, pressuring him to push on. He looked out the windshield, back towards the front of the house. “You can tell me, Hiroto,” she said, passing the sliver of the joint back over to him. He took the last real hit on it before sticking it into the little bowl he had pulled out to use as an ashtray before looking back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to make things weird or anything, but,” he started again, trying to think of the right words. His cheeks slowly turned a pink color and he glanced back at the front door of the house. “Your friend is kinda cute,” he mumbled, not daring to look back at Reina. She blinked, and then quickly, a large grin flew to her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Double date. Let’s do a double date. Oh my god, that would be so fun,” she excitedly babbled. “Emica is great! No wonder you like her. I should have thought of you two together, aw,” she doted, sitting back in the seat with a large grin. Hiroto couldn’t help but to crack up, his forehead hitting the steering wheel as he tried to compose himself. “What’s so funny? It’s cute!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A double date? With you and Tamaki? Don’t you think that’s going to be kind of weird?” He finally asked, lifting his head back up to wipe a tear from his amusement. Reina let her own laugh out, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only if you make it weird. I think the only weird thing would be to tell Emica that you and I had been on a date, so we might want to withhold that until things get more serious,” Reina pointed out, and Hiroto laughed even harder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get more serious? Are you planning out my potential relationships and the seriousness of them?” He asked, looking over at her. They both stared at each other for a moment before each of them burst back into laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” she giggled, shaking her head. “Let’s go back in there. You gotta get her number. I have it, obviously, but you have to get hers on your own,” Reina warned, pushing her car door open. “I know you’ve been doing a ton of driving today, but maybe offer to drive her home after? She rode over with me,” Reina offered. Hiroto nodded, though little chuckles were still escaping from their conversation, even as they headed back up the steps, through the doors, and back to the game room. Emica was sitting on the far side of an empty couch, so Reina glanced to Hiroto, wiggling her eyebrows a little with a small little smirk. He elbowed her slightly, getting a little yelp out of her, but they both let out a little laugh and he rolled his eyes, heading over to take a seat next to Emica. Reina made her way back over and took a seat next to Tamaki, who looked over at her in a reprimanding way. “What are we talking about?” Reina asked, ignoring the look she was getting, but grabbed onto his hand and gave it a soft little squeeze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mostly about your endeavors,” Kyoya responded, looking back over at the twins who were leaning against one another, snickering behind their hands.  Reina let her own little laugh as she looked over at the twins, and once they made eye contact with her, they laughed even harder. “But previous to that, we were talking about our next trip. I assume Tamaki has already informed you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgot to tell her!” Tamaki said quickly with a grin, glancing down at Reina, already completely over his frustration with her actions at the mention of the club's newest adventure. “Our little trip to the waterpark went so great, we decided to take a trip to the beach next weekend! Of course you would be invited,” he said, grinning down at Reina and squeezing her hand a little bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no. I can’t go. I’m going to start liking him more.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“I’d love to come!” Reina giggled, immediately after that thought had entered her mind, a wide grin forming on her face. </span><em><span>… What the fuck? Am I that high? </span></em><span>Tamaki was clearly excited by her words and gave a quick nod. Now that everyone had returned and the group was done eating, everyone commenced back into the video game in front of them. This time, it was a much more giggly experience. For everyone’s amusement, the four high members of the party took the controllers and picked some of the hardest levels. Reina would let out a scream every time she fell off the rainbow road, which got a laugh out of mostly everyone.  Kaoru had thought he was doing really well, until Kyoya had finally informed him that he had been watching Hiroto’s screen the whole time. Hikaru was mostly silent, trying really hard to concentrate and beat everyone, but couldn’t help but to laugh at himself when he ended the game in 9th place despite how hard he had tried. The rest of the scores weren’t much better - Kaoru ended the game dead last, and Reina was only one spot ahead of Hikaru in 8th. Hiroto got 5th place, which he obviously boasted about. The controllers got handed around to others who wanted to play, and Reina leaned against Tamaki once neither of them were playing. He glanced down at her with a soft little smile, forgetting everyone else was in the room when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, letting her head rest against his chest. Hiroto happened to glance over at the scene, and slouched only a little. </span><em><span>I know I should probably be jealous,</span></em><span> he thought to himself, but a little smile crept onto his face. </span><em><span>But they both look so at peace.</span></em><span> He watched as Tamaki slowly rubbed her arm, and then as Reina reached one of her hands over to hold onto his free one, both of them watching the screen with a little grins on their faces. Hiroto glanced over at Emica, who was sitting forward with the controller in her hand, her tongue stuck out in concentration as she tried to learn how to play the game. </span><em><span>I want that, too. I think Reina’s taken at this point.</span></em> <em><span>And that feels fine. I’m okay with just being here as a friend for her.</span></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t acting too - you know - high tonight, right?” Reina asked as they pressed their bodies tightly against one another, just settling in from their dinner with Yuzuru and preparing to watch a movie. He looked down at her and was reminded of his frustration from earlier. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I had almost forgot she was had smoked</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought to himself, though his eyebrows involuntary furrowed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not really. Just more peppy, I think. But speaking of that. What was that?” He asked, his voice similar to that of a father’s. She let out a tiny little laugh, sending him an innocent grin. “Being cute isn’t going to get you out of this one, I ignored the cigarette thing yesterday,” he reminded, narrowing his eyes down at her, even when she started to give little kisses to the back of his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you I smoked all of last year, it’s been months since I’ve done anything, it’s not a big deal,” she said quietly. “Plus you just said I seemed happier! It’s just a social thing. I used to need it medically, this is probably better because it’s way less,” she said with a grin, pressing the back of his hand to her cheek and cocking her head into it, still putting on a cute little show. Tamaki had already started to melt at the sight of her, but tried to remain stone faced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you need it medically?” He asked, his voice holding less hostility and now just mostly curious. Reina blinked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, I said that part? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, then realized that in fact, she had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just to sleep. Insomnia sucks and comes in waves, luckily I’m not in one of those waves right now,” she explained, moving his hand to stroke her own cheek, batting her eyelashes at him, obviously still trying to get a smile from him. He gave a slow little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t think smoking socially is any better than smoking for medical reasons, in fact it seems worse,” he pointed out, now furrowing his eyebrows. “But what about what happened to Connor? Shouldn’t that be a bit of warning to you to not do this?” He asked seriously, though now he began to move his hand on his own to continue stroking her cheek, keeping it intertwined with her own hand. Reina gave a single head shake, not trying to push his hand away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened to him was just a weird circumstance. I don’t think I have anyone out to get me, so I’ll be fine,” she said with a small smile. He kept his eyebrows furrowed, and she once again realized she said a little bit more than she was intending to. “We think my mom’s parents called the cops on him. They never liked him being married to Kimi, and they were the biggest shareholders of his company. With no children or close siblings to pass the company to, his in-laws and biggest investors was the obvious choice, and they clearly took advantage of that,” she explained, giving a tiny shrug. “I have no company anyone could want, I would get a slap on the wrist at best.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re lucky,” he added, a little frown on his lips. Reina couldn’t help but laugh softly, flinging herself forward to start giving him kisses all over his face, her arms wrapping around his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I met you, so I must be pretty lucky,” she said, her lips making their way across his jawline. His cheeks blushed up, and Reina could finally feel his cheeks curve up into a smile as her lips reached them. “In fact, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m lucky. I not only met you, but you’re willing to spend time with me? The luckiest girl.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I must be the luckiest guy then,” he added, his hands reaching down to her waist and he pulled her into his lap, facing her forward. Reina pulled back and gave him another innocent little grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then together, we must be the luckiest people in the world. Nothing bad is gonna happen to us,” she teased with a little wink in his direction, moving herself down harder onto his lap in a subtle grind. His hands on her waist tightened as he pulled her down even closer to himself. He opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of Reina’s phone going off stopped them both. She reached over to grab it, remaining in his lap and pulled it into her hand, sitting back up just as she initially was. Reina glanced over at Tamaki, her eyebrows furrowed as she held up her phone. He read the screen to see an incoming call from Emica. He gave a little shrug, motioning for her to answer, so she did. “Hello?” Reina asked, smiling a little as she felt Tamaki’s hand running up and down her back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, can we talk?” Emica said softly, but quickly followed up. “It’s nothing bad! I’m just confused.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would talk to you even if it was bad,” Reina laughed, climbing out of Tamaki’s lap and off the bed,  nodding over towards the balcony, to which Tamaki nodded in understanding as she headed outside. “What’s up?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just got home,” Emica admitted, as if she were declaring a sin. Reina blinked as she closed the balcony doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she said slowly, taking a seat on the loveseat. “It’s been a while since you left my house. Where were you?” Reina probed, pulling her knees up to her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I was on a date,” Emica said quietly. “Hiroto offered to drive me home - well, not home, I guess, at first. When we got in the car, we started talking and we realized we both were still kind of hungry so we got dinner.” Reina tried to conceal her smile, trying not to sound too excited, at least not until she could gauge how Emica felt about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And how did that go?” Reina asked, having to bite on her bottom lip after the words came out to keep from saying anything else. She could hear Emica breath out from the other end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s really nice,” Emica started, making Reina lose some of her enthusiasm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s not a good way to start. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“And he’s funny,” she added, then after another soft breath, she finished, “And kinda cute.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Marriage, you’re getting married,” Reina somewhat teased from their last conversation regarding Reina and Tamaki, however the grin grew on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, wait, there’s more to my confusion! Don’t get excited yet!” Emica prefaced, letting out a loud groan, so Reina zipped her mouth instantly. “I didn’t want to mention it or anything, because I was still trying to process it, but… Mori didn’t even talk to me once today. I don’t even think he looked at me for more than a second. I was hoping it would be different at your house, but it wasn’t. I feel weird, I felt so sure about him,” she trailed off. “I just thought, if he saw me outside of the club then maybe he would be more willing to talk to me, seeing as there were no other girls to make jealous. But he almost seemed </span>
  <em>
    <span>less </span>
  </em>
  <span>interested today. I’m starting to realize that maybe what we had wasn’t special,” she finally admitted, and Reina could tell that there were tears in her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay for unexpected things to happen in your life,” Reina said comfortingly, rubbing her legs with her hands to try and combat the little gusts of wind she was getting sent her way on the balcony. “Besides, don’t you think that may be a bit of a sign? That you start to feel unsure about Mori, and on the same day, you get invited on an impromptu date that you end up enjoying?” She pointed out. Emica was silent for a moment, before letting out a little ‘huh’. “Besides, Hiroto’s a cool guy. Mori’s also cool, but I think Hiroto seems more your vibe - in my personal opinion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think about that,” Emica finally said, before letting out the long awaited squeal that Reina had been waiting for. “I went on a date! Reina, I just got home from a date!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just went on a date! And you enjoyed it!” Reina yelled back, putting emphasis on the last part. “We have to double date,” she said for the second time that day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to! Me and Hiroto, and you and Tamaki,” Emica beamed, then furrowed her eyebrows. “Wait, what are you doing right now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m at Tamaki’s now,” Reina said, and Emica gasped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay bye! Enjoy time with your man, I’m not confused anymore, we’ll talk later!” She said before hanging up abruptly. Reina glanced down at the phone and furrowed her eyebrows a bit, but let out a little laugh. Shaking her head, she stood back up and headed back inside. Tamaki had moved to lie down while she was gone, and glanced over at her questioningly once she came back in. Reina gave him a little smile as she headed over, climbing into the bed and laying right on top of him, making his eyes widen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re freezing,” he said, whipping the blanket on top of them and using his hands to rub her arms, but she just wrapped them around him and laid her head on his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm, and it’s a good thing you’re so warm,” she said with a little laugh, peeking up at him. The worry finally fell from his face as he looked down at her, cracking a smile at her at first before finally letting out a little chuckle and shaking his head. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body up closer to him, basking in the little giggles she let out as he reached down and started rubbing each of her legs. She laid her head next to his and closed her eyes, facing towards him and started giving him little kisses on his cheek and jaw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is everything okay with Emica?” Tamaki finally asked, his curiosity taking over. Reina gave a little nod, placing a few more kisses against his skin before speaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” she said, planting one more kiss on his cheek. “I forgot to tell you, but Hiroto and I had a conversation while we were outside, when everyone else came in.” Tamaki’s stomach did a little flip. He was under the impression that these were two separate conversations, and his mind started to fly through all the possibilities of what she was going to say next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About what?” He asked quietly, his hands still lightly running up and down her mostly warm legs. Reina gave a little grin, opening her eyes to look up at him, but he was just staring at the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He thought Emica was cute,” she beamed, and Tamaki almost let out a sigh of relief. “He drove her home - but they went and got dinner first. So they just technically went on a date.” Tamaki’s mind stopped turning through all the bad options, and a large grin grew on his face as he glanced over at Reina. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I was right. They have just been friendly recently,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself. Slowly, though, his smile left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” He asked genuinely. Her smile lessened slightly as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” She asked, blinking a few times. Tamaki thought back to the day at the water park, and how they had thought she was jealous. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe she’s jealous over Hiroto, as well… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you upset about him going on another date?” He asked, moving one of his hands up to lightly scratch her back, though her confused face didn’t change. She waited a moment to see if there was any followup, but there wasn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she said softly, finally a little giggle coming through as she wiggled herself just a tiny bit. “I’m literally laying on top of you. I’m not upset about Hiroto going on a date,” she said, and he gave a little blush at both her body moving across his and the revelation in her statement. “I’m happy for them. It sounded like it went really well! I even suggested to both of them that we should double date,” she said with a smile, leaning forward and giving him a little peck on the lips. “If you wanted to be my date, that is.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t that be weird?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto said the same thing, but I don’t think it would be. He and I are friends - even if we went on a date, or two. Emica and I are friends as well. Maybe if we were going on a double date with Hiroto and some girl neither of us really knew, it might be kind of weird, but I don’t think this would be,” she said, then gave a little smirk. “Or if we went on a double date with Hiroto and some girl you had been talking to - you know, maybe like Himari for something - then </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be weird,” she teased, eyes full of mischief. Tamaki scoffed for a moment, grabbing hold of her body and swiftly turning, then catching himself so that he was hovering on top of her now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not funny,” he said simply, his cheeks turning pink as she began to let out more giggles. He gazed down at her, trying to study her expression. “Are you sure you’re not upset?” Reina wrapped one arm around his neck and moved the other hand over to stroke his cheek softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m more than sure. I’m happy for him - for them both. I want everyone to find their other halves and be happy,” she said somewhat teasingly, gazing back up at him. “I would be happy for you if you found someone you liked, too,” she told him, though her voice was soft and much less excited than it had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’re happy for me, then,” Tamaki responded and she got that same little twinkle of mischief in her eye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s the lucky girl?” She teasingly asked, which made him grimace once more. She stroked his cheek softly, her gaze growing softer. “I don’t want anyone to hold themselves back from something or someone because of me. You have to promise me that - that you won’t hold yourself back from someone,” Reina told him quietly. She didn’t add ‘because of me’ on the end of that second sentence. Whether it was deliberate, subconscious, or accidental, Tamaki wasn’t sure - but he did notice it. With a soft little smile, he leaned down to peck her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can promise you that,” he nodded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I won’t hold myself back from you, Reina. Starting now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought as one of his hands moved down to her leg, ready to pick up on what they were starting earlier. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Trouble In Paradise (43)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: I just wanted to throw this out there really quick, but when I originally started writing this, I wrote the timeline with the idea that this year was 2008 because that’s when I thought the anime originally came out. Shortly after, I realized OHSHC was actually released in 2006, but decided to run with it being 2008. :) So there’s some discussions in this chapter focused around the 2008 timeline and didn’t want any confusion! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Three</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s so beautiful,” Reina’s quiet voice said as she stood in front of Tamaki, gazing out into the ocean. His arms were wrapped securely around her waist, chin resting against the top of her head. She was wearing a form fitting lavender dress, very similar in color to the one she had worn at the dance. For some reason, he was wearing a full tux in the middle of the sandy beach. It was sunset, and the two were watching as the sun began to disappear behind the water. Reina looked up at him, her eyes twinkling with reflections of the orange and yellow sky scattered alongside her normal green color. “This moment is perfect.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Any moment is perfect with you,” Tamaki doted, taking hold of her hand and spinning her to face him. Reina’s hands landed on his chest as she practically collapsed against him, looking up at him with doe-like eyes. “Reina, I have something to tell you,” he said, hands snaking around her waist as she watched him almost pleadingly, waiting on his next words. “I’m in love with you,” he said softly as a large grin grew on her lips. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ve been waiting for you to say that,” she admitted, cupping one of his cheeks. “I’ve already spoken to my parents, they said I can stay here in Japan next year if you told me you were in love with me. I’m going to stay here with you forever, baby,” she excitedly said, though Tamaki was not surprised. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know, I talked to them too,” he said, pulling himself back to get down on one knee. “They said you could stay if you came to live with me. And I always want to live with you,” Tamaki said, pulling a little black box out of his pocket, and Reina’s eyes widened. “Reina Thompson, will you marry me?” He asked, her hands covering her mouth as tears began to flow, and she nodded quickly. An eruption of cheers could be heard - all of the host club guests had been watching the encounter, and each one was happy for them. In the distance, Tamaki could hear Haruhi yelling at Hikaru, saying she would never go on a date with him. Everything was perfect. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His paradise was interrupted by the loud alarm clock blaring right into his ear from the side of his bed. With a loud groan, he slammed his fist against it to shut it off, then turned to his back, staring up at the ceiling. He ran his hand across the sheets, taking note of the depressing empty space next to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course Reina and I get to go on a trip together, and we both have to work. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was Saturday, and everyone was supposed to be heading towards the beach. Tamaki, obviously, would be hosting for the majority of the day. Hikaru and Kaoru’s mother, Yuzuha, had finally seen the pictures of Reina from the water park and had requested more during their trip, which Reina hesitantly agreed to. The photographer was going to be there for the whole day, starting very early in the day to get Reina in different outfits and different lights - but the twins reassured that she would still get plenty of freetime in between shoots. Since the photographer was going to be there early, Reina had decided not only to ride separately, but also had made the decision to sleep at her own house in order to not wake him up too early accidentally, despite his protests. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We may still be working, but I will make time for her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself with determination, then grimaced. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That means I have to get up.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina took a deep breath, taking in the salty air as she stepped out of the car. Sora had arranged their driver a room at the hotel nearby so that she didn’t need to use public transit or rely on anyone else for a ride, so he gave her a little nod once she retrieved her bag and headed off to book into his own room. Reina knew he would be ready to get her with a simple text, but she wanted to try and give the driver as long of a break as she was able to. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They all work so hard, if I can give him a paid mini vacation with almost no interruptions, I would love to be able to do that,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought with a little smile, stepping inside the large building in front of her. She knew she would be the first to arrive aside from the eager, female photographer who was already waiting inside with anticipation for Reina's arrival. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s not waste any time,” the photographer grinned, holding a little pile of swimsuits and other miscellaneous items. “I see you’re already wearing makeup, perfect, that’ll save us quite a bit! Let’s knock some of these out before your friends arrive,” she said enthusiastically, and Reina gave a little nod, glancing down at her already finished coffee cup. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should have gotten the bigger size.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as the photographer suggested, the two began their day off by packing in as much as they possibly could in the hour and a half before people began to show up. They mostly were outside, taking photos in the sand and in the ocean, even though the water was freezing cold so early in the morning. Reina had cast aside any shyness and opted to change outside in an effort to save time, hiding behind rocks or trees in case anyone else were to come out, but she luckily didn’t have to deal with that. The photographer decided to wrap it up at that point, leaving Reina with the items that they had used so far in the shoot, allowing her to keep them for the time being. Reina was currently wearing a black and white checkered two piece, with thin little straps that tied, and a lacey black cover up. She also was left with a pastel blue tie dye towel, which she appreciated. Taking a glance around and giving a few waves to some of her acquaintances, Reina grabbed her little bag and the towel, heading off to a more remote part of the beach to peacefully tan out in the slowly rising sun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki, on the other end of the property, exited the car hastily as the host club made their arrival to their home for the remainder of the weekend. He glanced around, noticing that a few other cars were parked on the premises, which led him to believe at least a few other girls were already in attendance. The rest of the club piled up behind him, and he could hear little talks about how excited they all were to just be able to relax for the weekend. Tamaki glanced at Kyoya, realizing that his vice president hadn’t let anyone in on the fact that they would be working for the trip, so he swiftly moved to the trunk to retrieve his bag before heading inside. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t need to be present for that conversation, they’ll all find a way to somehow blame me for it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought with a little eye roll and a silent huff. Tamaki headed straight for the room that he knew was his. They had rented the whole building for the weekend, so nobody needed room keys or were required to check in. The hosts had their assigned rooms, but each girl would just come in and pick a place to sleep. Some rooms had more than one bed, but the majority of them were single queen sized bed rooms, suitable for one. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Except for Reina and I, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought smugly to himself as he pushed his door open and dropped his bag down in the middle of the room. He pulled his swim trunks out of the bag and quickly changed into them, his anticipation to see Reina settling it. It had only been a few hours since they saw each other last at school just the day prior, but the dream he had in the morning only furthered his need to see her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope I can spend the sunset with her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought just as he pulled the shorts on, forgetting about any of the other items in the room, and bolting out the door towards the beach. Upon getting outside, he sent some charming waves and smiles to the girls who had already arrived before starting on his search. He made his way around the area, group by group, saying hello and checking their occupants to look for Reina. By the time he made it to the last little cluster of girls, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where could she be? Maybe I should have made sure she got here safely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My princesses, is this everyone who’s here so far? Are there any strayaway kittens I should go say hello to?” Tamaki asked, casting a small smile and twinkling eyes at the group of three girls in front of him, who all immediately were flustered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I think a few are inside changing still,” one said, shoulders drooping a little in an awed state, eyelashes fluttering at the charming blonde. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>talked</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> to me. I’m not even one of his guests! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought to herself, swooning only a tiny bit. Another girl, who did happen to be one of Tamaki's guests, let out a playful giggle, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I saw someone go over that way,” the first year recalled, pointing in a direction hidden by some rocks. Tamaki sent them another dashing smile and a thank you before heading in that direction. Just as he suspected, Reina was in fact the one girl who had been isolating herself. She was laying down on the towel she had been given, her stomach against the fabric. Her head was turned towards Tamaki, the side of her face pressed against her folded arms. Reina’s hair was slightly sprawled out on her face, but Tamaki could still see her eyes were closed through the sea of ginger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>My love!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He called out as he approached her, yet she didn’t respond. He furrowed his eyebrows, but as he moved closer, he noticed the white wires hidden within her hair, leading to the iPod laying next to Reina. He stopped in front of her face. Once she noticed the new shade, she opened her eyes up and peered up at him, clearly a little agitated at first, though once she realized it was Tamaki she gave a big grin and pulled the headphones out of her ears. “What are you doing over here?” He asked, crouching down to get further down to her level, and she turned her body to the side, holding her head up with one of her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tanning, listening to my stuff?” She said as if it were a little obvious, using her free hand to pause her iPod. “But I’m really only tanning because the sun isn’t at full capacity yet. I probably can’t stay out here much longer, this Irish skin of mine burns pretty easily,” she laughed a little, looking back up at him as she set the iPod back down on the towel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I always wondered if you were fully half Irish, or if the red hair was just some recessive genes you and Connor both received,” Tamaki noted, letting himself fall out of the crouch he was in to sit down in the sand, getting a little giggle out of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm. Half Japanese, half Irish, full halfer just like you,” she teased up at him. “Though I don’t let that information out normally because Eric isn’t Irish. He’s a big mix, but mostly Italian or German or something, I don’t really know to be honest. There’s probably a little bit of Irish in there somewhere. His sister has red tinted hair, so everyone assumes I got that gene from his side. I feel like white Americans don’t really care about their heritage, or not a lot of them at least. They’re just, American,” she shrugged a bit. Tamaki smiled softly at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s opening up much more to me much more easily now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he noted after her longer than necessary response, almost letting out a sigh of relief. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That felt like it took a while.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Hey, I can bore you any other day, don’t you have guests to please?” She teased, which made him grimace a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can spend a few more minutes with my favorite girl,” he defended, then glanced down at her iPod. “What are you listening to?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Currently a podcast, but I think I’m going to switch over to listen to a few musical soundtracks,” she smiled softly. “This one is depressing me a little bit.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Tamaki asked, furrowing his eyebrows once more. He hunched his back over, resting his elbow against his leg and resting his chin into his palm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a political podcast, just discussing political things out in America. Between our current war, the upcoming election, among all the other things going on, it can get you down,” she laughed softly. “I try to use this to keep myself from having to watch American news, which is even worse, but sometimes I still have to give in and watch something that goes further in depth.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why subject yourself to that if it just makes you sad?” He asked, cocking his head a little bit. Reina rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky, smiling a tiny bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not all of it is bad. For instance, it looks like the Democratic candidate for America is going to be an African American man, which would mean The United States may have their first black president. But with that milestone comes a lot of repressed hate and racism, so although I’m rooting for him, it’s hard to hear about how some citizens are reacting out there,” Reina explained, her smile leaving her face by the end of her explanation. “I’m just glad I don’t have to be there for it. By the time I go back out there, the presidential election will have already been finished, and I won’t have to deal with any of that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have an interest in politics?” He asked, and she gave a little nod, glancing over at him. “It all seems so boring," he pointed out, a smidge surprised at her appeal for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting for a French man to act as if politics aren’t important,” she teased, giving him a weak smile. “Someone has to care, otherwise they’ll do what they want." He thought about it for a moment before nodding once. “I think it’s been more than a few minutes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she mused, reaching out and grabbing his free hand. “Go spend time with your guests, I’ll see you later.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we plan to have lunch together?” He asked, hopeful, and she gave him a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So long as I’m not needed by the photographer at that time, then of course,” she nodded, squeezing his hand softly. “I’m surprised I was asked to do it again,” she noted and he let out a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not, I’m sure the twin’s mother realized she hit the jackpot with such a beautiful girl,” he said, a little twinkle in his eye as he leaned forward, giving her a little kiss on the forehead before standing. “No reason to stop at just lunch, we could spend all of our free moments together," he mentioned casually, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his intertwined knuckles, preparing for his hostly duties. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"As many free moments as we can," she responded with a semi-teasing tone, but they both knew she probably was serious. "Promise," she decided to add, a sweet smile on her lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don’t stay out here for much longer, though I’ll treat any sunburn you get in case it happens,” he teased and she rolled her eyes, picking up her iPod to change over to something new. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’d love that,” she mused, before peeking up at him with a tiny smirk. “Go have fun, baby. See you soon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though not deliberately, Reina’s promise was breaking more as the day went on. By the time lunchtime had come, Reina was swept away by the photographer once more for some more photos, and by the time she had returned, Tamaki was undoubtedly the busiest host on the grounds. Anytime he caught a break, she was nowhere to be found. And everytime she came back, he was back to his duties. He kept glancing towards the sky, being very weary on his time he had left. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I want to watch the sunset with her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself once more, but gave a charming smile to the guest in front of him. Luckily, it was one of the last ones on his waiting list that he needed to spend time with. Reina had made her way to the main building’s patio, and she just continued to listen to music as she looked out at the view, spending quite a bit of time there in a peaceful bliss. It didn’t take long for her peace and quiet to be disrupted, just not by the host she had been hoping to see. A tap on her shoulder made her pull her headphones back out, turning to see the twins standing above her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re trying to figure something out,” Kaoru prefaced and Reina gave a little nod, ushering them to continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think Haruhi is afraid of?” Hikaru asked, mischief in his eyes. Reina furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced back out at the beach in front of her. Haruhi was currently scooping shellfish into a bucket, so that was clearly off the list. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She got scared when you two jumped out in the hallway. You know, during the dance. So maybe scary movies with jump scares?” She offered, glancing back at them, and they each sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s so basic,” Kaoru pointed out. Reina gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But practical. I don’t think I have any real fears,” she said, and each twin exchanged a little look, suppressing a laugh. “I mean like, ‘basic’ fears of course, but nothing major, I don’t think.” Just as she said the words, Tamaki had already made his way over to see the twins still trying to conceal their snickers. “No really, what’s so funny? What do you know that I don’t?” She asked, which made Tamaki stop abruptly at her words. Hikaru was the first to notice Tamaki’s presence, and he turned over to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We still haven’t figured out Haruhi’s fear,” he informed Tamaki, then glanced back at Reina who was still just watching the twins. “You really don’t think you have any fears?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I mean, nothing crazy. Bugs are gross and dying scares me, but those are pretty standard fears,” she reiterated, watching as the twins cracked another little smirk. She looked over at Tamaki, as if looking for some sort of answer, but his confused expression clearly had nothing for her curiosity. “Do you think you two know what I’m afraid of?” She finally asked outright, turning back to the twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Easy. You’re afraid of commitment,” they said together. Reina’s jaw dropped as she stared at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not,” she said simply, before furrowing her eyebrows a little bit and crossing her arms. “Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>really, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I just have valid reasons for avoiding it,” she added, then glanced down at the ground, blinking a few times. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Am I actually afraid of commitment? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered, biting down on the inside of her cheek. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the photographer approaching again with a new outfit so she looked up again, giving a little nod. “Hm. Well, thanks for that. Good luck with figuring out Haruhi’s fear,” she laughed a tiny bit, walking down the steps and giving Tamaki an apologetic look as she walked off to the photographer. All three boys just blinked, exchanging glances. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did she just go through the five stages of grief? In ten seconds?” Hikaru asked, glancing back at Reina and the photographer as they headed off in a far off direction. “That was weird. Anyway, let’s go find Haruhi to try out some other stuff. Reina mentioned jump scares, we can try that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The photographer quickly sifted through the photos, nodding softly as she clicked through each one. Reina had changed into a new swimsuit, a pastel purple two piece. It was a little more sporty looking than her last one, with thicker straps than the other ones she had worn, but still cute. On top of it was a white cover up, which had only been on for half the photos. Even in the photos, it had been strategically placed to be slipped off her shoulders. Emica was off to the side, waiting patiently for Reina to finish so they could hang out for a little bit. Emica had spent most of the day waiting to hang out with Mori, and when she was free, spent most of the time with the rest of Mori’s guests. Despite the new developments with Hiroto, Emica was still casually attending the host club, and she knew she wouldn’t want to miss the trip. The woman finally nodded once more, letting the camera fall back to her side as she smiled at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we got a good amount! And the beginning of the sunset in the background looks really nice! I was intending to come back for some night shots, but I think these are all good. Thank you for your time!” the photographer exclaimed, giving her a smile. Reina smiled back and gave her an understanding nod, then watched as the photographer headed off towards the edge of the sand and away. Reina finally turned her attention to Emica, who let out an exasperated sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finally, I’m starving,” she said, shaking her head a little. “And also super tired. All this sun is killing me,” she complained, heading over to Reina as they began to walk along the water. “What’s the plan for the rest of the night for you? The hosts are supposed to eat dinner separate from the rest of us, but your situation is different.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I don’t even like seafood, so I think I’m gonna venture to the town near here to find something for myself,” Reina admitted, laughing as the two got into a discussion on how in the hell Reina didn’t like seafood. As their mini conversation came to an end, Reina noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. “Who’s that?” She asked, looking over as she watched two strange men walk up the small cliff overlooking the ocean. Reina looked a little harder and saw that there were a few girls up there as well. The sight of the men made Reina’s stomach drop as if she could sense the upcoming trouble. With wide eyes, she turned to Emica, who looked just as worried. “Go get Tamaki and the twins,” she ordered, pointing off in a direction and Emica nodded, quickly jumping into a run to go find them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know I had seen Mori and Honey around here somewhere,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, beginning to head in the direction she last saw them at. In her search for the two specific boys, she had almost missed the other pair of men heading in her direction, who had been in search of their other friends, but decided to detour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, we found a cute girl,” one of them called out, and she swiftly turned around, her eyes narrowing at them a little. “Hey cutie, what’s your name?” He asked, the other man letting out a little laugh as the taller boy reached out for Reina. She slapped the hand as hard as she could with the back of her own, taking a little step back. Something about the men gave her weird vibes. In any normal situation, she would have at least attempted to be kind, but her gut was telling her to get away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me, you’re not supposed to be here,” Reina said, glancing over. She watched as Tamaki and the twins were sprinting towards the cliff. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s more dangerous over there, that’s where they need to be right now. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw, don’t be so feisty, we’re just trying to have fun,” the shorter man said as the taller one took another step forward and grabbed onto Reina’s arm. She tried to shake herself free, but when that didn’t work, she took a deep breath before lunging forward and punching the man straight in the middle of his face, a nosebleed immediately commencing. “What the hell?” The man yelled, watching as his friend stumbled back, grabbing onto his nose, and letting go of Reina in the process. She glanced around frantically, trying to see if she could spot Mori or Honey, but to no avail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just get the hell out of here,” Reina said, her voice wavering slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to have to treat me twice as nice for what you did to me,” the tall man said, taking his bloody hand and grabbing hers with it, trying to tug her into him. Reina bit on her tongue for a moment before finally deciding she needed help. She let out a loud, blood curdling scream as she began to take swings again, hitting him three more times in the face and the side of his head. Tamaki from the cliff heard the scream but had no time to turn back - he was already jumping in to save Haruhi, and had no way to distinguish where the scream even came from, quickly forgetting about it the moment he hit the water. The twins were too preoccupied with beating up the other two men to have comprehended that it was a cry for assistance, much less hear it in the first place over the sound of them relentlessly beating the original two men. The man let out a grunt, but didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he gripped on tighter, using his nails to dig into her wrist, cutting the skin. The shorter man ducked behind Reina, covering her mouth with one hand and grabbing her arm with excessive force with his second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop acting crazy,” he muttered to her. She bit down on his hand, as hard as she possibly could. She sent a kick straight forward, hitting the man in front of her in the knee which made him stumble as she ripped her wrist from the man’s grasp and cut the skin even deeper. She began to send her fist behind her, hitting the shorter man in the jaw and mouth several times. He let out a yelp and let go of Reina’s mouth, and she let out another call. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Help!” She screamed, desperation in her cry. The man from behind shoved her, sending her into the man in front of her, accidentally pushing her straight into the man’s elbow as he was reaching up to tend to his nosebleed more. Reina’s face collided into his elbow, and she winced, knowing that would probably be a black eye shortly after this ordeal. The taller man caught her before she could stumble away again, one hand grabbing onto her waist and digging his nails into her skin, the other grabbing her by the neck. He squeezed her neck just enough to make her gasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna pay for this,” he almost growled, pushing his fingers against her neck harder, but the loud sound of a thud caused him to look up and his eyes went wide. As he tried to run away backwards, he scratched Reina’s waist much deeper than she was expecting and she let out a little cry of pain, finally being able to turn around. Behind her, the shorter man was completely knocked out, and Mori stood before her. Reina could feel tears swelling up in her eyes as he took a little step forward, gently grabbing Reina and placing her behind himself. “Look man, we don’t want any trouble,” the guy said, taking another step back, glancing down at his unconscious friend for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too late,” Mori said simply, stepping away from Reina and charging at the guy. Reina squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch the fight, but could hear a quick cry from the man, then yet another thud. She waited a moment before finally opening her eyes once more, looking up at Mori as tears fell down her cheeks. She watched him for another moment before wiping her tears on one side, wincing a little as the moisture hit her scratch marks on her wrist, but she didn’t look down at them yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said softly, another tear falling down her cheek as she glanced over at the cliff. “There were more. I think Tamaki and the twins got them, though.” Mori nodded then took a step towards her, leaning down and gently moving her coverup out of the way, taking a look at the deep scratch marks on her side. “I’m fine, let’s go find the others,” Reina said, taking a little step forward towards the cliff, but Mori kept hold on the fabric. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re deep,” he said quietly, looking back at her. She gave a little shrug. “You need to put bandages on them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t hurt too much right now,” she lied. “I’m sure they will though, and I’ll attend to it then. It’s just the adrenaline. Let’s go,” she said, giving him a little smile, and he finally stood up straight and nodded, hurrying with her over to the rest of the group. Kyoya had already confiscated the IDs of the first two, and Reina looked over at the unconscious boys sheepishly. “There’s two more, Kyoya, but it might be awhile before you get anything out of them,” she told him quietly as she approached. Kyoya glanced over at her, then to the two boys in the sand, then to Mori with an understanding nod. The twins, who clearly were still pumping full of energy and anger, looked over at the new recruits of the group. Honey was standing silently, staring into the water. Kyoya noticed one of the men beginning to stir from behind them, so he took a short leave to go address them and retrieve their IDs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They pushed Haruhi in,” Hikaru said, his voice shaking heavily, and Reina could see Kaoru tightening his grip on his twin’s hand. “Boss jumped in after her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’ll be okay, Hikaru,” Reina reassured softly, glancing out into the water, the silhouettes of Tamaki and Haruhi slowly coming into view. “Tamaki would be rushing if she wasn’t okay,” she pointed out, and Hikaru seemed to exhale some of the worries he had, but the anger remained as he nodded a little. Kaoru looked over to Reina to thank her nonverbally for reassuring Hikaru, but noticed the blood on the sleeve of her coverup. His eyes widened a little as he noticed the scratch marks on her wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” He asked quietly, as not to gain anymore attention. Reina looked down and then shrugged a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” she said simply, pulling the coverup off. The scratch marks on her waist were on the opposite side of the twins, so Kaoru didn’t notice them as she tied the sleeves around her waist, trying to conceal both her side and the bloodied end of the sleeve. Kaoru glanced back at the two groggy men that Kyoya was currently walking away from, two little cards threaded in his fingers, then looked back at Reina. Instead of pushing the conversation further, he reached over and grabbed onto her hand, being cautious of the little scratch marks on it. Reina stilled, but as she felt another little tear fall down her cheek, she squeezed his hand slightly, watching as Tamaki and Haruhi made their ways almost all the way back to shore. Even though it made her feel bad, Reina couldn't help but feel a little jealous. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I just want to skip to the part where he holds me like that, and consoles me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought, scowling at her own thoughts, but recognizing that despite her disdain for the thoughts, she still needed him. Everyone silently watched as Tamaki emerged from the water and set Haruhi back on her feet.  After another moment of somber silence, Tamaki let out a defeated little huff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What were you thinking?” He asked, looking directly at Haruhi. She blinked back in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was helping, they were going up there to mess with those girls,” Haruhi justified, and Tamaki shook his head in anger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have gotten one of us. You could have never taken on two guys. Don’t forget, you’re a girl,” he yelled, Haruhi’s face dropping a little bit. Reina, out of instinct, let go of Kaoru’s hand and stepped forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, we did,” she shot back. Tamaki jumped a bit and turned to her as Reina spoke, only just noticing her presence. “Emica and I saw those guys before they even got to the girls, she ran to go get you. It would have been too late by then.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I highly doubt it would have been too late,” Tamaki retorted, looking right at Reina. His voice held a level of aggression that nobody quite expected. It was clear that he had a lot of pent up frustration over the situation and was just taking it out on the two girls, since they were the only ones responding. Still, out of some sort of protective brotherly type of instinct, Mori stepped forward next to Reina to watch Tamaki intently, ensuring her safety - but Tamaki didn’t seem to notice. Reina narrowed her eyes at him slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me,” she said with a slight pause, her voice ringing much colder than his aggressive one. “It would have been,” she finished. They stared at each other for another moment before Tamaki finally scoffed, turning away from both the girls in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know anything about this, just stay out of it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said simply, not daring to look over at her. She watched him for another moment, trying to debate whether she wanted to argue back, but ultimately decided against it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He can die on this hill if he wants, I don’t care,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself with a little head shake. Reina turned to Haruhi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” She asked, and Haruhi gave a little nod, her shoulders relaxing a bit at the concern in Reina’s question rather than the scolding she had just received. Reina nodded as well then turned on her heel, leaving the group immediately to head back inside. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why didn't she ask if I was okay? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki wondered, a flare of jealousy shooting up, very similar to what Reina had just felt. She scooped up her bag from the porch and rushed inside, immediately heading off to her room to change and examine her injuries further. Back outside, everyone watched as she left, then turned back to Tamaki. He watched as the door closed, then stood with his eyes on it for a moment longer. He prayed for her to come back, and to just apologize, but she didn’t. He scoffed again and turned back out towards the water, eyes fixated on the sliver of sun just hardly peeking over the horizon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So much for spending sunset with her. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kyoya cleared his throat through the tension, glancing down at his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got all four of their IDs. I’ve already ordered flowers for all the girls involved, though I suppose I need to add another one to that list,” he said out loud, more to himself. Tamaki blinked once, then slowly turned back towards the group, a stunned look stamped onto his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Four?” He asked, voice barely audible. “There were two.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Turns out there were four,” Kyoya responded coolly. “The twins seemed to handle the first two, and although I initially thought that their punishment may have been too harsh, the other two were knocked out cold. One of them absolutely has a broken nose,” Kyoya informed, glancing back. As if on cue, yelling could be heard from behind them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get up, man, they’re gonna kill us,” the shorter man said, tugging the other man up to his feet. The taller one grabbed onto his nose, checking his hand to see if more blood was coming out. Which it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stupid slut,” the taller man called out as the two scurried off the beach and back to the little opening they had entered in from in the first place. Tamaki’s fists balled up as he looked around at the group. Everyone had also watched the ordeal before turning back to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” He asked, voice still pretty small compared to what it normally was, even more so when comparing it to the aggression his tone had held just a few minutes prior. Nobody spoke at first, they all just glanced around at each other. Everyone, that is, except Mori. Mori kept his eyes on Tamaki, watching as the blonde scanned everyone in front of him before finally stopping on him. Tamaki blinked, waiting for some sort of response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She needs bandages and ice,” he responded simply, turning around and beginning to walk back towards the house on his own. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. When It Rains, It Pours (44)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Before we start the chap, I want to thank you all for reading. Seeing the kudos and the reads go up always makes me smile, and I hope you all are enjoying it so far! I also want to give a shoutout to the users Val, Ahh, and Dani. Your comments truly make my day so thank you so much for engaging and keeping me going!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This chapter is a little all over the place, but I kind of like it! I jumped back and forth between Reina and Tamaki’s POVs of the rest of the night. Some of it overlaps, so hopefully the timing of everything makes sense. You’ll have to let me know if you like the way I went back and forth or if you would have preferred one or the other. I don’t think I’ll do this a lot, only during high stress chapters. :) Hope you enjoy it!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Four </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina rushed into her room, ignoring all of the other girls heading into the large dining hall for their dinner. She pushed the door shut with both hands and then just held them there, pressed against the wood and stared into it. Slowly, more and more tears fell down her cheeks as she stared into the little curves and grooves in the wood grain. She let her forehead rest against the cold lumber and the tears hit the ground. She gave herself another few seconds before pushing herself back, wiping her tears quickly and then grabbed hold of the bag she had packed. Reina swiftly pulled the coverup off her waist and let it drop, reaching into it and ripping out a loose dress she had packed. Reina brought it over to the connected bathroom in the room, flipping the lights on and taking a look at herself. The black eye was already forming, and her crying only made the swelling look worse. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think it was too dark out for anyone to see the state of it, luckily,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. Though, as she looked longer, her face puckered at the sight and more tears threatened to fall, but she turned her attention to her side. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mori was right,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, grazing her finger against one of the marks and wincing a little bit, just a tad more pain than she had expected. She turned the faucet on and began to rinse off her bloody hand, biting down on her lip as the cold water made contact with the scratch marks on her wrist, but she pushed on, scrubbing all of the guy's blood from her skin. In a swift movement, Reina tugged the dress over her head, not bothering to change out of the swimsuit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to get out of here pronto,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, rushing back out to the room and swiping up her little purse, then cautiously opening up her room door. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don't want any encounters - no, I don't need any encounters, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she corrected. With a peek in each direction, ensuring no host club members would be there to stop her, she slipped out of the room and headed straight for the large double doors at the front of the building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki watched as Mori walked away. Honey quickly ran after him, but rather than stopping him for more information like Tamaki might have, he slowed his pace and began to walk alongside his cousin. The blonde glanced around at everyone else there to see that they were just staring back at him. With his eyes hitting down at the sand, Tamaki quickly began his walk back towards the house, surpassing Mori and Honey easily. He scooped his phone up from the patio table and opened up the back door to walk into the house in his search. Unbeknownst to him, the front doors had just closed right as he had opened the back ones. The girl who he was searching for had slipped away into the night, but he began to look anyway. He rushed into the large dining hall. The majority of the girls were exchanging stories and gossiping about what had just happened, so when Tamaki entered, most of them turned to the dripping wet boy and concluded that he did in fact jump in to save Haruhi as one of the girls had said he did. Tamaki gave a weak little smile to the crowd before scanning the room and finally finding Emica. He rushed over and tapped her on the shoulder, and she quickly jumped up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is everything okay? Where’s Reina?” Emica asked, and Tamaki blinked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was about to ask you that,” he admitted, complete defeat in his voice. Emica’s eyes widened for a moment, but then the lightbulb went off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Well if you sent her inside like you did with me, then she probably left,” Emica said with a little grin, which made the color in Tamaki’s face completely wash away.</span> <span>“She told me she doesn’t like seafood, so she was going to go into town to pick up something different for dinner,” she explained. Tamaki’s face didn’t change too much, even though her words should have been reassuring. “Is everything okay?” She asked again, furrowing her eyebrows. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just want to check on her, is all,” Tamaki semi lied. Emica gave him a smile and a little pat on the arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she’s fine, you’re the one who just went through something crazy. You should dry off and then go enjoy your dinner,” Emica encouraged. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I’m not the only one to have gone through something traumatic, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, but decided not to mention it to Emica before he knew the full story. Tamaki gave her a little nod and turned to leave, but still wasn’t completely satisfied. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She left? To go into town after that happened, and alone? I doubt she was so stupid. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought, as if just realizing, then frowned and turned back to Emica who was just about to go sit down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What room is she in?” Tamaki asked quickly, a clear desperation in his tone, and Emica thought about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“I don’t know the room number exactly, I can’t remember right now. But I’m in room eleven and she’s across from me,” Emica confirmed with a little nod. Tamaki gave her a half-assed thanks before heading out and rushing towards room eleven. In his current state, manners had gone out the window. He made notice of the fact that he was tracking water throughout the halls, but chose to ignore it. Once he made it to room eleven, he turned around to see Reina’s door facing him. With a deep breath, he reached out and knocked softly. After waiting for a response and hearing none, he pushed the door open and peeked inside. </span><em><span>No Reina,</span></em><span> he thought to himself with a little sigh. Irritation flew through him as he peeked into the open bathroom door, hoping she would be in there, but of course, she wasn't. </span><em><span>So she was that stupid, </span></em><span>he thought bitterly. Still, he wandered further into the room. Lifting his phone up, he began to dial her number, but got distracted by the white garment he found lying on the floor. As he typed in her number and began the call, he crouched down to pick it up, staring at the sight he saw back. There had been some of the attacker’s blood on the sleeve of the fabric, but during Reina’s short walk back, small trances of her own blood had seeped out from her side onto other parts of the cotton, making a whole red mess of it. Silently, Tamaki raised the phone to his ear as he stared down at the clothing item. After what felt like an eternity to him, the call wasn’t picked up, instead telling him that no voicemail box had been set up. He rapidly tried calling again. When that one didn’t go through, he tried one more time, still with no luck. He let out a frustrated groan as he stood back up, shaking his head. </span><em><span>I have no choice but to go back to the hosts, she clearly doesn't want to talk to me. But I don’t want to go see them.</span></em> <em><span>I want to find Reina. And I also really want to tell her how carelessly dumb she's been.</span></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After walking what she felt was far enough away to give herself a moment, Reina almost fell to her knees but caught herself before she could, tears still falling out. She let her face fall into her hands, little sniffles coming through every once in a while. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Get it together, Reina, nothing happened,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she pleaded to herself, but the crying only got worse. She could feel her phone vibrating, but ignored it. Once again, the vibrating continued. She finally found the strength to move her hands from her face and continue on her walk, but still ignored the phone as she continued on her trek. Alongside tears, a pathetic laugh came out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can't believe I thought I needed comfort. Obviously I'm fine, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, simultaneously wiping away more tears, somehow not noticing the irony until after her hand left her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don't need anyone to wipe these, I have two hands, I can handle this myself - as per usual. I don't need anyone to carry me, I'm walking perfectly fine, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she tried to think encouragingly, but another little whimper came out, partially from the pain in her side and partially from the heightened feelings she was experiencing. As she finally got to the outskirts of the little town, she felt her phone go off one more time and she almost let out a frustrated cry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t care about talking right now. I just want to get what I need and go to sleep,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, subconsciously pushing her bag further away from her body in order to not feel the vibrations as much. Reina couldn’t even bring herself to check and see who was calling, mostly because she was sure that she already knew it was. She finally found her way into a little drug store, giving a forced little smile to the cashier as she wandered in, searching for the items she needed. Bandages, something to clean her wound with, and some gauze. Reina glanced over at the limited selection of food they had to offer and opted to just grab a drink and a little can of mixed nuts. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t need to go find some other place for food. I’m not even hungry, I just want to go to bed,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself once more, trying to picture the queen bed waiting for her once she got back to the house to keep her going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it’s because I’m already aggravated and on edge, but if I have to hear one more - </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>crack.</em>
  </b>
  <span> Tamaki winced at the sound of yet another crab leg being bent in half, not daring to look over at Haruhi. His food had hardly been touched. After changing and joining the host club, Tamaki was beyond frustrated with the group. As far as he could tell, he was the only one that was openly worried about Reina’s condition, as well as the only one who was still outwardly expressing annoyance with Haruhi’s actions by giving her the silent treatment. Since Reina wasn’t in attendance for their meal, nobody decided to ask about her even though they had varying levels of concern and curiosity. They figured Tamaki either hadn’t seen her or was currently fighting with her in the same way he was with Haruhi. On the other side of the table, the twins were playfully congratulating Mori on the knockouts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I just can’t believe you broke one of their noses, Mori, that’s not normally like you,” Hikaru said with a little laugh, shaking his head just a bit. Mori finally glanced up through his silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never touched their faces,” he informed. Both twins stopped any amusement they had, glancing over at Tamaki. He pushed out of his agitated state to look up at Mori, eyes wide.  </span>
  <b>
    <em>Crack.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never did?” Tamaki asked quietly, glancing over at Honey. “Were you the one that did, Honey?” The short blonde shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was inside prepping the food, I only came out when I heard the girls all scared,” Honey informed Tamaki, watching as Tamaki’s face fell to a ghostly white as he seemed to finally piece together more of what had happened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>REAL</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> fighting, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he realized, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by another loud snapping sound and he grimaced. Unable to contain himself any longer, he turned over to Haruhi, who was smugly ignoring their conversation to enjoy her feast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” He asked through gritted teeth. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Crack. </em>
  </b>
  <span>He glanced around the table at the rest of the hosts, noticing that nobody else seemed annoyed at the sound. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It must just be because I’m upset with the girls,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, once again cut off by another cracking sound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I thought you weren’t speaking to me,” Haruhi said, not turning to look over at Tamaki as she bit into her crab leg. He had to take a deep breath to compose himself before he stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, goodnight then,” he said simply, not making eye contact with anyone as he left the room, then pulled out his phone to look at it once he was far enough away from the room. A frown played against his lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She hasn’t called back, or even texted. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His former vexation was promptly fizzling down to solely worry.</span>
  <em>
    <span> What if she's really hurt? I just want to know that she’s okay. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dialing her number once more, he pressed the phone to his ear as he made his way to his own room - though, he debated camping out at hers. Just as he might have guessed, no answer, so he let out a little sigh as he entered his room, throwing himself into his bed but kepthis phone right in between his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back in the host’s dining room, Kaoru waited patiently to ensure Tamaki was most definitely gone before turning to Mori, who was knowingly anticipating the questions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How bad was it?” Kaoru asked, all eyes turning to Mori, who picked up his napkin and wiped his hands off as he thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bad enough,” he coolly responded, though his thoughts were wildly stirring. The group members knew it was hard to get Mori to talk, but the twins seemed determined in getting at least a bit more out of this one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said she needed ice and bandages, was she hurt?” Hikaru asked as he folded his arms and sat further back into the chair. Mori gave a short nod. Everyone waited for an elaboration, but they didn’t get much. “So she was fighting them? How stupid,” he said simply, shaking his head alongside an eye roll. “There’s something wrong with these girls. She should have called for one of us.” Haruhi rolled her own eyes, flying back to her annoyed state and got ready to defend both herself and Reina, but was cut off by the provoked third year.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She did,” Mori defended, a hint of distraught in his voice, finally lifting his gaze towards Hikaru, whose eyes widened in shock. Only silence met him back, Mori elaborated a smidge. “She yelled for someone to come help.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t hear her,” the twins said together, glancing at each other, then looking around at the rest of the table. Haruhi had finally begun to pick up on how the rest of the table had feared for her now as a knot formed in the pit of her stomach in empathy for Reina. She set her current crab leg down to look up at the group, a little frown on her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should have been there sooner,” Mori finally spoke, looking over at Haruhi as his guilt began to further press in his mind over not being able to protect the two girls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina finally paid for all her items after browsing around the shop for a little longer. For some reason, she seemed to be trying to prolong her inevitable return to the house. Though she hoped she could just go straight to her room and go to sleep, the voice in the back of her head was so persistently reminding her that her desire wouldn’t be fulfilled in this scenario. In her procrastination, she had picked up an oversized souvenir Japan tee shirt for herself, just for some sort of amusement after the not-so-great last part of the day. It was an obnoxious yellow color with an absolutely horrible design, but Reina just thought it made it look more fun. The cashier seemed to judge two separate things as Reina paid - first, the awful choice of shirt, and second, Reina’s eye. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It must already be noticeable, I was hoping I was just critiquing it too hard,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought sadly, but gave the cashier an innocent smile as she took her receipt and swiftly escaped the stuffy store. Glancing up at the sky, she frowned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just my luck, it looks like it’s going to rain. And after such a pretty day, too. I don’t want to call my driver unless I absolutely have to, I still want him to have that well deserved break,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought with a sigh, venturing forward. With each step of her left leg, the claw marks on her side sent a little shock of pain to her, but she tried her best to ignore it. Slowly, raindrops began to fall onto her. She continued her walk back towards the beach house until she couldn’t quite do it anymore, needing a little break from the pain on her side mixed with the water droplets interfering with her eyesight. There was a tree nearby with just enough coverage for her, so she ran over to it, leaning her back against the bark and letting out a little sigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luckily it’s just a light rain right now.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She lifted her head up to glance up at all the branches above her. Inside her purse, her phone buzzed again. With a little sigh, she finally decided to pull it out and take a peek. She knew that she had felt the phone moving around a lot, but her eyes almost shot out of her head when she saw she had ten missed calls and two text messages at this point. Checking the texts first, she bit the inside of her cheek. In reading the texts, it was clear that any annoyance Tamaki had felt towards Reina had been lifted in the time since they had seen each other - at least, temporarily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Please just let me know if you’re okay</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Please, Reina</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as she was about to respond, another came through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: I’ll make Kyoya’s police force search the whole town, don’t think I won’t</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina actually laughed out loud as she read the last one, shaking her head a little bit as soon as she did, as if to try and remind herself that she was mad at him and shouldn't be laughing. Still, she couldn't help but try and think up a funny response, warming up slowly now that he didn’t seem as cold as he had on the beach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: I think that would be kinda fun to play hide and seek with a bunch of cops. So go ahead</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: I’m kidding. I’m fine, I just didn’t see your texts at first. Enjoy your time with your friends</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had swiftly added in the second text, just to ensure he knew she was joking, but it still didn’t save her from what she had been trying to avoid. Another call came through, which she easily declined as she looked down the road, trying to mentally prepare herself for the damp, frigid walk she was going to be taking on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I run, I probably could make it back in about two minutes,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, subconsciously shifting her weight to her left leg and letting out a little yelp as another sharp pain shot through her side. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think I could run right now, so it’ll probably be closer to five minutes. I can do that, no big deal. </span>
  </em>
  <span>One last time, her phone started to buzz and she let out an exasperated sigh as she finally answered the call, bringing it up to her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m fine, just a little busy right now,” Reina said simply, lifting herself up from her slouched position against the tree and shoved her purse into the drug store bag to consolidate her items, using her shoulder to hold the phone to her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Tamaki asked as soon as the first words left her mouth. His voice sounded completely anguished, and Reina frowned a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm, I just told you twice that I was fine, so quit,” she responded, taking hold of her phone to relieve her shoulder from holding it up and she shifted to her right leg, giving her side a little break before she had to start walking again. “But I also told you that I’m busy, so I gotta go,” she said, preparing to hang up, but he deliberately ignored her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s that sound? Are you by the ocean?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows and sitting up in his bed, prepared to run back out to the beach, but then his head turned to see his room’s window being plastered with raindrops. “Are you standing out in the rain?” He almost shouted, immediately back to his concerned state, which never </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> left in the first place anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just waiting for the car to pull around,” she lied, which made him calm down, though only slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” he said softly, the grip he had on the phone slowly easing. “Are you sure you’re okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she started, letting out an exasperated sigh. He nodded a bit, despite her not being able to see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” he said quickly, not trying to make her any more annoyed than she already was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How did the tables turn like that? I should be the one irritated with her. She's the one acting carelessly. I don’t know why she would be mad at me right now.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “But Mori mentioned you needed bandages and ice. Please come to my room when you get back so I can tend to you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he pleaded, his voice not at all echoing the displeasure he had started to feel again. Reina was silent for a few moments, understandably thinking about it, before she let out another little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she finally nodded a bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I do need a little bit of comforting, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she admitted to herself, a few more tears clouding her vision. “But I need to go right now,” she reiterated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you soon, my dear princess,” he added in before she hung up. Reina’s head fell forward as she took a deep breath, then with a boost of determination, she pushed herself from underneath the covering leaves and darted in the direction of the house, as fast as her injured body would allow her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a long conversation about how they care about Haruhi and want to help her, the hosts all began to disperse from their dining area. Kyoya was the first to leave, shortly followed by Haruhi who was on a mission. She had decided it would probably be best to go see Tamaki and apologize. As she left, the twins looked over at Mori and Honey. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t blame yourself,” they both advised Mori, who had no response back for them. They each waited a few moments to make sure he had nothing else to say before they stood, exiting the double doors of the room. As they wandered down the hall towards their room, they passed by the front door. Just as they were about to walk away from it, the sound of it opening stopped them in their tracks. Reina walked through the doors after taking a deep breath, her side on fire, and the rest of her body dripping wet. She glanced up from the ground and was met with the four wide eyes staring back at her. The halls were all dark, so they moreso saw each other's outlines than anything, but the twins knew it was her for sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” She asked with a little nod in their direction as she shut the door, then let out a little sigh as her eyes adjusted and she recognized who was standing in front of her. “Don’t tell me Tamaki is having you two play guard or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were just passing through,” Hikaru assured, then cocked his head. “Why would we be playing guard, though?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He wants me to come see him, it just seems like something he would do to be sure that I made it there,” she justified, getting an understanding nod from each of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll take you there, even though we weren’t ordered to by the boss. You should really get out of those clothes,” Kaoru said as he noticed the water dripping from her. Reina let out huff but nodded. She walked over to them, and each one noticed her slight hesitation every time she stood on one of her legs, but neither mentioned it as they began their journey to Tamaki’s room. Kaoru walked slightly ahead of the other two, and the moment that he turned a corner, he held both of his arms out to stop Reina and Hikaru from continuing. The restrained two seemed confused, but as they peeked around Kaoru’s body and saw Tamaki and Haruhi in a deep embrace, Reina and Hikaru froze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as Tamaki heard the knock on his door, he had assumed that it was Reina. As quick as his body allowed, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, rushing towards over. Tamaki ripped the door open and, without really looking at who was in front of him, took a step forward into the hall and grabbed Haruhi’s body, pulling it into his own, which was right when the three redheads had rounded the corner. Haruhi stilled, her face scrunching in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senpai -” she began, and Tamaki was prepared to pull himself away in both realization and deep embarrassment, but a loud sound made Haruhi throw her arms around him, head pushed against his chest. As the thunder finally ended, she pulled herself from his loose arms and she shook her head. “Sorry, I need to go,” she informed him, abandoning her original plan of apologizing as she turned and ran down the hall in the opposite direction of the three onlookers. Tamaki’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and concern and he turned towards her, quickly following. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Haruhi, wait!” He called after her as she rounded another corner, both of them quickly disappearing out of sight. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did she react that way? I hugged her on accident, so I would have expected her to push me away, but she hugged me back tightly, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he wondered, a frown on his lips, obviously overlooking the rumble of thunder that had happened in the middle of the unforeseen embrace. The three redheads remained silent, not daring to move. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Twice in one day, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she couldn't help but think to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Twice that I've fooled myself into thinking that I needed someone to be there for me. I don't. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina finally glanced over at Hikaru, who seemed somewhere in between devastated and furious. She took a shaky little breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should go check on them,” Reina said softly, making Hikaru sharply turn to her. “She seemed upset. It’s been a long day for her, and she might need some friends after everything,” she pointed out. He seemed to think about it for a moment, then glanced at Kaoru, as if asking for permission. Kaoru gave him a little nod and with a swift nod back, Hikaru was down the hall and around the corner towards Haruhi’s room faster then the other two had expected. “Is he going to be okay?” Reina asked quietly, looking at Kaoru who gave a little nod, then gently smiled down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a long day for you, too. Do you need a friend?” He asked, his voice the softest that she had personally ever heard it. She shook her head, giving him a little smile back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I just need to go to sleep,” she answered, lying more to herself than to him, but then cocked her head a bit. “But I think I might need some assistance with wrapping up my wound if you’re willing to help me with that. If your room is nearby then it’ll be quick,” she added and he gave a little nod, glancing down at the small little scratches on her right hand before leading her towards the door right next to Tamaki’s. He pushed the door open and allowed her in first. “I’ll be quick, I just need to clean up,” she said, motioning to the bathroom. Kaoru nodded and walked further into the room, taking a seat on the ground close enough to the bathroom door to still be able to hear her clearly but far enough to not be able to actually see inside. Reina walked into the bathroom and decided to keep the door open as she pulled her dress off, revealing the same swimsuit she had on earlier. Reina pulled out the ugly tee shirt she had bought and let out a weak laugh. “Don’t make fun of my shirt, I kind of bought it as a joke and my dress is making me cold,” she warned, and he chuckled just a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No promises,” he shot back, making her laugh just a tiny bit more. Reina set the shirt aside for the time being, prepared to put it on after she was completely bandaged up. She fumbled through her bag for the items she had bought, pulling out the hydrogen peroxide, gauze, and bandage tape. Kaoru stared into his hands as he waited patiently, before letting out a sigh, finally unable to hold back his curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” He asked. Reina grabbed some toilet paper for the hydrogen peroxide and began to apply it to her hand, wincing almost inaudibly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, just a little sore, I guess. My body hurts more than I would have thought,” she responded, applying the gauze to her wrist and seamlessly wrapped it with her other hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I meant,” he continued cautiously, furrowing his eyebrows. “About what we just saw.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” she responded, glancing up at her reflection for a moment before grabbing more toilet paper to start the process over on her side. “I’m just worried about Hikaru.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not upset at all?” He questioned, not convinced in the slightest. She glanced down at her side, trying to mentally prepare herself for cleaning the much larger wound. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Somehow, I prefer this pain much more. It's distracting.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not dating,” she clarified for what she felt was the 500th time. “I’ve told him he can do what he wants. He’s said that he doesn’t like Haruhi, but I’m sure he’s in denial or something, so I’m hoping the three of them can figure it out,” she said, finally finding the courage and pushing the toilet paper against her side and letting out a quick, but loud, cry of pain. Kaoru’s eyes widened and he started to stand, but her words stopped him. “Sorry, I’m good, just shocked me for a second,” Reina assured, closing her eyes tighter as she continued to clean the wound, taking sharp little breaths each time she went over a new area. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Kaoru started cautiously, a frown on his lips. “We were kind of joking about you being afraid of commitment, but I don’t think that’s all too wrong,” he said, reminding Reina of their conversation from earlier and she stopped in her tracks. “You’re allowed to be selfish, and you’re allowed to want for things, even if it’s short term.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for the advice Kaoru, truly, but I’m okay,” she said, then sighed a bit. “I’m coming out without the shirt on, I’m wearing my bathing suit. Is that okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he said, frowning. “Though I don’t know why you need to be shirtless, I’m wrapping your hand, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I already got my hand,” she explained, grabbing the used toilet paper from her wound cleaning process and tossing it in the bin, then grabbed the gauze and the adhesive bandages. He furrowed his eyebrows a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I kinda thought you were limping earlier, but I didn’t see anything on your legs outside,” he noted. Reina held the gauze against her side with her right hand, her left hand holding the bandages as she reappeared from the bathroom, making her way to Kaoru and kneeling in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, just a little thing on my side. I’ll hold the gauze if you can wrap it for me, or vice versa if that’s more comfortable for you,” she smiled a little, but his eyes were fixed on the large piece of gauze she was pressing against her waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me see,” he said, reaching out grabbing hold of her right wrist, and her eyes tightly snapped closed. For a moment, two images flashed in the forefront of her mind, one of them being the incident from earlier in the day, another from years earlier. Her breath hitched a little and she lifted her other hand, ready to push him away as her right hand tried to pull out of his grasp, subconsciously tightening her grip on the gauze and pulling it off of the wound, but she stilled as soon as she remembered where she was. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked quickly, though kept holding on to her wrist, just watching her. She shook her head and opened her eyes again, her green eyes only slightly glossed over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, sorry, I don’t know why I reacted like that,” she said with a little laugh, still shaking her head as she furrowed her eyebrows, glancing down at her tensed arms and had to physically force herself to relax them. His eyes widened a little bit as he noticed the swelling right in front of his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your eye,” he said quietly, looking at it and she gave a tiny little shrug, accompanied by a little smile. He moved his gaze down to her side and inhaled sharply. “Holy crap, that looks bad,” he noted with a little frown, finally letting go of her wrist. “No wonder you were limping, that looks like it hurts,” he said, looking back up at her as she shrugged once more, placing the gauze over it once more and handing him the bandage tape. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be fine in a day if I keep cleaning it, I could have gotten it much worse,” she pointed out as he unraveled some of the bandage from the roll, moving it around her body cautiously, trying not to touch her too much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like a broken nose?” He teased, looking up at her for a moment before continuing. She let out a tiny little laugh, shaking her head only a little. “Quite a bit of strength there to break a full grown man’s nose.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not when he’s not expecting it,” she argued with another laugh. She glanced behind her shoulder to the door to the room, easily deflecting the conversation elsewhere. “Hikaru hasn’t come back, so that’s either a really good sign or a really bad sign, right? If he was upset, would he come back or would he go wander off somewhere?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to tell with him sometimes. I’m his main support system, but he tends to reject that support occasionally to be alone, which is never great for him,” he explained and Reina nodded a little. “I have a feeling you’re the same way,” he inserted coolly, and Reina rolled her eyes a bit as he finished and she stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I asked you for help, right?” She pointed out, heading back into the bathroom to grab the yellow tee shirt and her bags. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but I meant more emotional support,” he said, standing up as well and heading to the doorway of the bathroom. “I have a feeling you keep everything locked up, which isn’t good for you, you know. Hikaru and I may be the boss’s friends, but we’re your friend too. You can talk to me if you need to,” he said with a little smile as she pulled the shirt over her head, the smile quickly turning to a smirk. “You were right, that shirt is awful. My mother would die if she saw one of her models wearing that, I’ll need to let her know you need some new outfits.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s so terrible that it’s funny,” she defended with a little laugh, admiring it in the mirror before turning to him, the beam she wore relaxing down into a sad little smile instead, though he was the only one to notice that shift. “Really, I’m okay. I think I was hurt for a second, but it helped ground me a little bit, to be honest. I think it helped me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How so?” He asked, leaning against the doorway. She leaned her right hip against the counter and faced him, crossing her arms and shrugging a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was getting too comfortable in something that couldn’t be. I was already thinking that was the case recently, I knew I probably shouldn’t have even come on this trip in the first place. I was starting to like the idea of being with Tamaki, but that’s not really something I think can happen for me,” she explained, moving her gaze down towards the sink, but not really looking at it. “Seeing that was a good reminder that he has others who can make him happy and I shouldn’t be expecting anything out of this like I had been. When I leave, I’m leaving him in good hands, and that’s all that matters. I don't need anyone.” Kaoru sighed, shaking his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just like Connor said. She's letting go too early because of the idea of leaving. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re just as hopeless as he is,” he said quietly, though Reina didn’t react much to it. “What have you done with guys in the past in regards to leaving?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never really felt this way about a guy before. Not really. I’ve really only experienced friendships and occasional hookups, and I figured that I would be okay with that for the rest of my life. I guess maybe I just thought I was broken since I never really found an interest in anyone in a romantic way, and figured I would always be like that. Getting close with Tamaki has been weird because it’s made me wonder if I really would be okay with that forever, but feelings suck,” she ended with another weak laugh. “So now I know for sure, it’s easier to avoid them.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything is easier to avoid, it doesn’t mean you should,” he reminded her with a head shake. “You’re deliberately keeping yourself from happiness.” Reina sighed softly at his words, reaching over to grab her phone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Do him and Connor talk? That sounds like something he would say to me, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, though it was more of a comparison in her mind as she was overlooking the opportunity they had to speak at the aquarium, still blissfully unaware of the fact Kaoru knew more than she was letting on. To her surprise, she had one missed call from Tamaki within the last five minutes, but she tossed the phone back with the rest of her belongings and scooped the bag up easily, reaching out to grab her dress with her other hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll keep your advice in mind, thank you. But easy seems more practical for the time being. Work smarter, not harder, as they say,” she laughed, looking at him, noticing that he found no amusement in her statement. “Speaking of avoiding, I’m going to do that again tonight and just go to my room. Can you do me a favor and just not mention I was here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t mention it, but I think you should still go see him at some point tonight. I don’t think he would mind you waiting in his room until he gets back,” Kaoru noted as he moved out of the doorway and she walked out of the bathroom. “At least think about it. I think you’re wrong, I don’t think it’s crazy to think something could work out for you, Reina. Maybe it hasn’t happened before and that’s why you’re hesitant about it, but don’t live your life with that idea in your head,” he warned, opening the door for her. She gave him a tiny smile and a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Kaoru. I’ll see you later. Keep me updated on Hikaru, if you can. Just text me,” she requested, and he gave her a nod as she walked out the door and down the hall towards her own room. He let out a little sigh as he watched her go in the opposite direction of Tamaki’s room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What a mess of a day. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki sat on the ground watching the scene in front of him for just a few more moments before finally deciding he was free to leave. As he stood, he gave Hikaru a little nod, who returned it. Hikaru was sitting on the bed, holding Haruhi in his arms. She was faced inward, her head dug into his chest. He had luckily had his iPod on him, and she had a pair of headphones in her ears, eyes shut tightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he wouldn’t be so bad for her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought as he made his way to the door, slipping out silently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But he still would never marry my little girl. Just an extra friendly acquaintance, where all they do is occasionally talk at school - nothing more. Like what Reina was trying to do with me. Though Reina and I are more than that, and will always be more than that,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he nodded with determination, then his face fell. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Reina. I think I was only gone for like ten minutes, so hopefully she hasn’t made it back yet, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he hoped as he quickened his speed towards his room. He threw the door open as soon as he got there, saddened but somehow also relieved to see the empty room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least I didn’t keep her waiting, but I wish she was here already,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he sighed, pulling his phone out to see no notifications. He went back to see when their phone call had taken place, and scowled when he noticed it had already been almost twenty minutes since then. That seemed much too long in his mind, considering the fact she had said she was waiting on a driver. He started yet another phone call to her, but was once again met with the ‘no voicemail box’ message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not just standing around and waiting anymore,” he said out loud, shaking his head as he left his room, heading straight to hers. When he stopped in front of her door, he once again decided to knock, just in case she was inside. With no response, he pushed the door open and wandered in yet again, this time moving to sit on the bed as he waited impatiently, tapping his fingers against his phone at an extremely rapid rate. He waited about five more minutes of just sitting in the room before clicking his phone on, preparing to call her again when he heard the doorknob turn. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. A Vow To Protect (45)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: I'm not sure how much I liked this chapter tbh but hopefully you guys do! Thank you again for all the kudos and comments :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Five</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina pushed the door open, her eyes on the ground as she walked in, not paying any attention to her surroundings. She carelessly dropped her bag of items onto the ground and flipped the lights off without even looking at the switch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina,” Tamaki said softly, trying not to startle her as he stood, but it didn’t work. She let out a little shriek, her back hitting the door and hand going to clasp over her mouth. “It’s me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I didn’t want to scare you,” he said quickly, walking to close the gap between them. Reina had calmed a little, but still remained pressed against the door, her hand still lingering near her mouth. She didn’t move towards him in the slightest, just stared wide eyed as he moved closer towards her. He reached out to turn the lights back on, but she grabbed his hand before he could, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, don’t,” she almost whispered, her voice the weakest he had ever heard it. “I’m tired,” she said pleadingly. He took notice of just how much her hand was shaking and had to wonder how much of it had to do with the scare. Once again, his irritation dissipated at the stiff girl in front of him  - for the time being. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please tell me what happened today,” he pleaded back, taking her hand in his softly and rubbing the bandage with his thumb. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t we do this another time?” She asked, her voice breaking a little bit as tears swelled up in her eyes. “Or not at all? It doesn’t matter what happened, it’s over and it doesn’t matter anymore,” she rambled in attempt to reason with him. “Can we just go to sleep? Please? I’m tired,” she tried again, this time a little more desperation in her small voice. Tamaki studied her, taking any little amount of light coming into the room to try and look at her. A swift flash of lightning struck outside, the bright white seeping into the room through the partially drawn curtains. In the split second, he was able to see tears running down her face, as well as her swollen eye. He took his hand from hers and flipped the light on, this time too quick for her to stop him. Her face fell slightly before she bit down on her lip, watching as he just stared down at her. After a second, he leaned down, pressing his lips to the corner of her swollen eye, his body beginning to shake slightly out of both anger and worry for her. When he pulled away, he could see her bottom lip tremble a little bit. All of the sadness and hurt that she had been feeling on her walk had come back full force, just as she thought she was over it. As tears started flying from her eyes, she slid her back down the door, bending her knees as she hit the ground. She hugged her knees and dropped her head down, her slightly damp hair cascading around her as the tears erupted out of her. Tamaki was quick to scoop her up bridal style, carrying her over to the bed as he took a seat, holding her in his lap. Even in the comfort of his arms, Reina’s mind couldn’t stop berating herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Stop crying. You’ve gotten through worse, this is agonizing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You have to leave,” she shakily said, still hiding her face, yet trying to be stern. Her voice was much less demanding than she had hoped it would, instead the words just fell out in a pathetic whisper against the raging tears. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t need him here,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she tried to remind herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can do this alone. I </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>should</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> do this alone.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She made an attempt to get off his lap, but he held onto her legs and back tighter, pulling her body against his. “Just go to your room, Tamaki,” she practically begged, her breath hitching occasionally. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not leaving you,” he whispered softly, rubbing her back through the shirt, his own eyes glossing over how distraught she sounded.  “Please, Rei, let me stay and be here for you,” he asked, pulling her body even closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want you to leave,” she admitted to him, which sort of sent him into a shock. Her words should have sent him packing, but they didn’t. Her tearful response seemed so contradicting, so he didn’t move from his spot. When she tried to move away from him again, he gripped onto her tighter, even when her cries got slightly louder and her fight against the restraint got a little rougher. “I don’t want you to see me cry, I don’t want you to think I’m weak for it,” she finally cried out, pulling her knees up even closer to herself as she dug her head further away from view. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I look ridiculous right now. He’s sure to leave after this mess, and then he’ll realize that I’m too much, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, much sadder than she thought she would be at the revelation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He can move on after this.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her confession made his eyes go wide. Slowly, he pried one of her hands off of her own leg and brought it up to his cheek, forcing her to wipe away one of his own strayaway tears. She sat up a bit, but still didn’t look at him, she just stared forward as the tears continued to fly down her face silently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not weak for crying,” his soft voice rang, comforting her much more than she imagined it would. She didn’t respond, but remained where she was in his arms and ceased her slight fight against his relentless grasp, so he let out a little breath of relief. He glanced over quickly before standing again, holding her in his arms as he made his way towards the head of the bed, repositioning them there and pulled the blanket over her cold, bare legs. He grabbed the other end and wrapped it around them both, letting it cover everything from her mid-back and down. As she began to calm down slightly, he slipped his hand under her shirt to rub her back but was stopped by the bandages he felt. “Please, talk to me,” he said quietly, moving his hand further up to continue what he had planned in the first place. Reina took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down and moved herself to face him, straddling him in the process and pressing her face into his collarbone. “Tell me what happened,” he pleaded once more, holding her body cautiously, not trying to hurt whatever was under the bandage. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He doesn’t need to know anything,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself somewhat confidently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no reason for me to explain it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, Emica and I saw the guys going up the cliff, so I sent her to go find you and the twins,” she started with a little sniffle. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yet, somehow, I’m still fucking explaining it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she realized, but continued on anyway. “I went to go find Mori and Honey because I thought I had seen them in the area. I ran into two other guys on the way. Then just like, a little bit of fighting. And then Mori came and helped me out.” Tamaki took note of just how watered down her version of the story was, but set it aside, his emotions overtaking his curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How does just a little bit of fighting end up with you having a black eye?” He asked, his hands shaking. That anger that he had suppressed so flawlessly was beginning to boil again, but he tried as hard as he could to keep it away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was accidental, and mostly my fault,” she defended, trying to downplay the situation at the aggression he held in his tone, as if she were a child trying to hide something from their parents. He opened his mouth to argue, but she continued before he could. “I kind of just stumbled into one guy’s elbow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>stumbled</span>
  </em>
  <span> into him?” He asked with a quizzing tone, surely not buying that half-assed story. Reina furrowed her eyebrows as she wiped her cheeks gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got pushed,” she finally admitted after a moment of silence on her end. Tamaki couldn’t help it anymore; he let out a huff full of bile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Getting pushed wasn’t your fault. Trying to take on two guys alone was your fault,” he told her, pressing his hands harder against her skin, shaking his head as more and more irritation surfaced. “Why didn’t you call for someone? Why did you let yourself get hurt for no reason when you know all of us would have come for you? That </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>would have come to save you,” he corrected the last sentence, putting a heavy emphasis on it. She finally peeked up at him, but he wasn’t looking at her this time. He was staring forward, though his hands were still placed firmly against her. She could read that his face was overflowing with emotions, but it was hard for her to pinpoint all of the ones he was actually feeling. “I have Mori to thank since he was able to sense the trouble,” he practically declared, making a mental note of the fact that he had yet to thank the third year for saving her. Reina blinked up at him, a bit stunned at the new, reproaching tone he had taken on. A little bit of resentment filled her as she sat back, ready to defend herself and her actions, but he got there first. “You acted really stupid out there, Reina,” he told her, a weight being lifted off of his shoulder now that he had been able to get those words out. As he finally turned to look at her, and immediately noticed the sullen expression she was wearing, which probably would have shut him up in a normal circumstance - but it didn’t. “Really stupid,” he reiterated, unable to hold himself back. “You couldn’t stand against two men.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she finally responded, just staring back up at him. “Thank God Mori heard me call for help,” she responded coolly, but the words felt far colder to Tamaki. A sharp chill went up his spine and he almost felt like he had been staring back at Medusa, turning to stone at her divulgence. “Clearly - I can’t stand against two men.” Tamaki opened his mouth to respond, but he paused as he tried harder to wrap his mind around what she had just said. He closed his mouth once more and gave his throat a swift clearing, then tried once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You called for help?” He asked, his voice frail. Before she could even think about nodding or answering his question, his eyes widened as he recalled the scream that had echoed through the beach on his way down into the water. “You called for help,” he stated this time, getting a short nod from Reina who still looked hurt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How could I have forgotten about that?</span>
  </em>
  <span> The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was fighting for attention from Tamaki’s rapid heartbeat, both components of his body causing another hair-raising chill against his spine. His head began to shake, but this time as opposed to it being as a part of his lecturing, it was out of disbelief. “I should have been there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were busy,” she reminded, but he winced at that word. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Busy. Like her mom and stepdad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Mori was there to help me, I’m okay. You had to help the other girls.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>You had to help Haruhi, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she corrected in her mind. She thought back to what she had just seen, and another little sniffle came out involuntarily as more tears started to slip through. Reina shut her eyes to try to combat them and laid her head back against his collarbone to keep the sight from Tamaki, but neither effort worked for her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why am I being so bitter about this? We’re not dating. He can be with any girl he wants, I’ve made this clear over and over again</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  He felt her breathing change again and he wrapped his arms around her just a little tighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should have been there to save you. I’m sorry,” he whispered, stroking her back with his hand as gently as he could. She shook her head a little, squeezing her eyes a bit tighter, though she was relaxing into him even more. “I should be the one protecting you,” he told her, dipping his head down to rest his nose in her damp hair. “You seem much more cold and wet than someone who was just waiting for a car,” he pointed out, letting one hand run through the wet strands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said quietly, forcing a little laugh out, still faced against his collarbone. “That might have been a little lie, I didn’t want to worry you anymore. I had no idea it was going to rain when I had started walking,” she explained, bracing herself for his reaction. Tamaki’s breath hitched in his throat, his fingers still lingering between locks of her hair. He swallowed, trying desperately to push aside his disdain after how the previous outburst had turned out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would have come get you,” he reminded her gently, his fingers rubbing her scalp softly. “Walking out alone is dangerous, especially after what happened. How did you know that those guys weren’t just outside the house still?” He asked, biting down on his tongue in order to restrain himself from furthering his sermon on the subject. After a short silence, Reina furrowed her eyebrows in a moment of realization. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t,” she admitted quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t,” he repeated, taking the small victory and amplifying it in his brain, making himself truly believe that he had won this argument. “I would have just gone with you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I would have done whatever you needed me to do,” he reiterated, then lifted his head a little bit to look down at her. She was still thinking over her last answers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not completely defenseless,” she blurted out, staring down at his shirt. His short lived triumph withered slightly as he realized they were jumping into another section of the disagreement. “I can stand my ground. Girls aren’t defenseless. I don’t like how you spoke to Haruhi and I out there.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sure you two made up, though,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself, damning herself for even thinking about it again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not supposed to care. In fact, I don’t care. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki’s face scrunched up at her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Haruhi acted stupid out there,” he rebutted, dismissing the part of Reina’s sentence about how he had spoken to her. “You got thrown into something. She willingly jumped into it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She was trying to help,” Reina pointed out, furrowing her eyebrows. She still wasn’t looking at him, slightly afraid of what reaction she might see. “She likely saved those other girls from what I went through since she got there before you three could,” she mentioned, tugging his heart strings with her statement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want anything to happen to any of you,” he reminded her, trying to adjust her to look up at him, but his efforts weren’t met. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’est la vie,” she responded quietly, glancing around the room. He couldn’t help but scowl at her ideologies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Life doesn’t have to be like that,” he tried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But so often, it is,” she said, just as quiet as before. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not if I can be there to protect you next time, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to himself, devising a new goal in his mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll change her negative outlook on life. I have to. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Another crash of lightning lit up the room, making them each glance out the window. Tamaki’s mind wandered back to Haruhi and the situation that took place in front of him, and he silently hoped that Hikaru was still with her - despite how weird that wish had felt to him. Slowly, he was reminded of something else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you come to my room?” He asked, only getting a little shrug out of her. “Talk to me, my princess</span>
  <em>
    <span>.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean,” she cautiously said, trying to work around how much she wanted to reveal for the night. Finally, after a long time of hiding, she peeked up at him from behind her bangs and almost melted at the soft eyes looking back at her. Kaoru’s words had flashed through her mind, and before she could stop it, her next words flew out of her mouth. “I did.” He watched her, eyebrows furrowing after a moment. “The twins caught me when I came back and offered to take me to your room, and we showed up at the same time,” she explained, this time not looking away from him as the gears in his head began to turn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think about how Hikaru seemed to show up out of nowhere,” he thought out loud, then his face fell a bit. “So you three saw?” He asked, and she gave a little nod. In his mind, Tamaki wasn’t truly processing that only Hikaru saw the aftermath with Haruhi, and that all Reina had seen was their embrace and how Tamaki was running after her. “That was something, for sure,” he noted, shaking his head a little, then his eyebrows furrowed a little once again. “That was a while ago at this point. Where did you go after? You weren’t in here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kaoru’s room. I asked if he would help me wrap up my side. I needed some help, and it seemed like you might have been occupied for the night,” she explained softly, giving him a weak smile. “Which is fine - I just needed to get it wrapped up and didn’t want to disturb you and your time or anything,” she mentioned, trying hard not to project any of the previous jealousy she had been experiencing, though the choice in her words weren’t the best at concealing that fact. He grimaced at the idea of Kaoru being so close to Reina, but pushed past it as he thought about her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am occupied tonight,” he said, securing his hands tighter around her, and she kept her sad little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry if I double booked you. You didn’t need to leave, I would have understood. I’m tired anyway,” she said softly, moving her hand through his hair tenderly. Tamaki sat back to look at her further, blinking a few times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said, shaking his head a little bit. “I wanted to be with you. No, I want to be with you,” he corrected, eyebrows furrowing before it finally dawned on him. “Reina, that wasn’t what it looked like. I thought it was you at my door. I thought I upset her when she ran away, so I went after to make sure she was okay,” he explained, moving both hands to cup her cheeks. She let out a tiny little laugh and shook her head, trying to hold back the remainder of her tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay, really, I was just saying I wouldn’t have my feelings hurt if you didn’t spend a night with me. It’s none of my business, Tamaki,” she said as she shot a little smile up at him, tilting her head into one of his hands, but he kept shaking his head. It was clear to Reina that either her perky persona wasn’t working, or he was just too far into his head at the moment for any show of hers to phase him and his thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought maybe she liked me when that happened. I thought when I caught her, I was going to have to turn her down,” he admitted, stroking one of her cheeks with his thumb, wiping away some of the leftover tears. Reina’s head remained slightly tilted into his other hand. She attempted to keep her small smile, but it faltered slightly as she tried to think of a response for him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’d be happy with someone that isn’t as problematic as I am. He could be happy with her. Or anyone, really. He’d be happy with anyone else. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would you turn her down?” Reina finally asked, her eyes already glazing over despite her attempts to keep the droplets away. Tamaki stared down at her before finally releasing a huffy little laugh, shaking his head and looking away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I finally understand,” he said quietly to himself, taking Reina a bit by surprise. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is it. “I finally understand - I can do better, I deserve more, this is too much”, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, coming up with every combination of words that could possibly come from his mouth, which only made her sadder. “I finally understand how everyone else feels when I won’t open my eyes a little more at what’s so obvious,” he said, looking back down at her and giving her a smile. As Reina realized that what he said was worlds away from the negative scenarios she had been picturing, she couldn’t help but let her own shaky little laugh out, relaxing into him again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean when we act hopeless?” She mused a bit, pulling Kaoru’s word from earlier and Tamaki gave her a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. When we act hopeless,” he agreed, stroking her cheek one more. When he recognized that the word she used was the same one Kaoru had called him at the water park, a short twinge of pride shot through his body. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So they talked about me, about us. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I’ve already told you, but I’ll recite it everyday for you if that’s what’s required of me. I only have eyes for you,” he told her softly, watching as more tears started to bundle near the corners of her eyes. “That hasn’t changed, and isn’t changing.” She gave a soft nod, the tears finally slipping down her cheeks. “What are you thinking right now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About how tired I am,” she joked, giving a little smile, but continued on. “About how scared I am.” He wiped each tear as it slid in his direction, leaning forward and giving her a kiss on the forehead as he waited for her continuation. “I told Kaoru I should probably stop hanging out with you,” she admitted now that they weren’t in eye contact, and he stopped where he was, lips still pressed against her. “Because I’m starting to really like you and I’m worried about what will happen at the end of the year. I’ve never felt this way before, I don’t know how I’ll handle losing you, even as a friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You would never lose me,” he practically whispered into her bangs, wiping a few more tears blindly as they hit his fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But if I did, I don’t know how I would react,” she said with another little sniffle. “I’ve never had to deal with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll deal with it together,” he reminded, still holding his lips against her forehead. He didn’t want to move and disrupt the vulnerability she was giving him. Reina thought for a moment then sighed, moving her body closer to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been wondering about something for a while. Your dad was in an arranged marriage. Do you think you will be, too?” He pulled himself from her forehead to look down at her once more, this time with some surprise in his expression at her question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think my grandmother would have realized arranged marriages don’t work when his didn’t. And he wouldn’t do that to me, having known what it’s like,” Tamaki informed, just as Reina wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “I think I’ll be free to marry the woman I want love, so don’t worry about that, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said, almost as a hint. She gave a little nod and moved her face from his grasp to rest her head in the crevice between his neck and shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not that I think we’d get married or anything,” she clarified, and Tamaki’s face dropped a little, though she couldn’t see that from where her head was at. “I was just a little curious, and I guess this talk reminded me of that,” Reina said as he planted his hands on the sides of her thighs, which were still on either side of him in a straddling position. “I’m still scared,” she admitted, pushing her face into the crook of his neck and shutting her eyes. “I don’t like all this openness.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t like it because you’re not used to it,” he reminded, adjusting to force her to look up at him. “But I’ll go at your pace, my princess. I’ll work with what you’re comfortable with,” he told her, placing his finger under her chin to keep their eye contact. “Let me be there for you, don’t push yourself away.” Reina bit down on her lip to keep it from trembling before finally giving him a little nod. “I’m so sorry about tonight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t your fault,” she responded softly, and he shook his head a bit. As the apology had left his system, a few words kept replaying in his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You don’t know anything about this, just stay out of it, my love.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry for how I spoke to you,” he said, now remembering their encounter on the beach, his voice full of sorrow. For the first time tonight, Reina leaned herself up and pressed her lips against his, much to his surprise. She pulled away and gave him a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mention it,” she said quietly, then glanced down at his arm to read his watch. 9:47. She let out a tiny little sigh. He wasn’t quite done with the apology, nor was he quite finished up with his recount of the memories on the beach, but she moved past it anyway. “I think you’re going to be upset, but I want to go home. Not necessarily now, but later tonight or super early tomorrow before anyone else is awake. I didn’t bring any of my makeup, just put some on this morning and didn’t figure I would need any for tomorrow. My eye says differently. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess,” she said with a tiny laugh, but Tamaki frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could run to a store now and grab you some makeup,” he suggested, but she just shook her head a little bit. “Nobody will mind seeing you without makeup, I think everyone would be extra kind to you,” he tried, only getting a scowl in return at the idea of everyone having to see her slowly bruising eye, alongside a quicker headshake. He opened his mouth to argue more, but she shot him a quick look that let him know she was completely serious in her decision. “Okay, I understand. But you said not yet, so please let me stay until then,” he pleaded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” she nodded, finally pulling out of his grip and climbing off of him to go retrieve her phone from the bag near the door. She checked it quickly, finding a text from Kaoru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kaoru: Still no Hikaru. Hopefully a good thing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina glanced up at Tamaki from the doorway. He had moved to sit on the edge of the bed, awaiting her arrival back to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So Hikaru came with you to Haruhi’s room, did you leave them there together?” She asked and he gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was helping her with something when I left,” he answered loosely, then his face scrunched up a bit. “Do you think he likes her?” Reina laughed softly, sending out a quick response to Kaoru as she walked back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: Tamaki’s in my room and said he left them together. So probably a good thing</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” she responded as she made her way to him, walking into his open arms and in between his legs. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as she looked down at him. “Why? How would you feel if he did?” Tamaki opened his mouth to berate Hikaru, but paused as he began to think. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” he finally said. “I thought I would be upset, and that I wouldn’t allow it, but I’m not really sure,” he said, and she cocked an eyebrow at him slightly when he mentioned not allowing it. “Haruhi is like a daughter to me. I want what’s best for her, and I’m not sure Hikaru is best, but he does seem to care about her,” Tamaki recounted the events that unfolded in front of him. He remembered how Haruhi had locked her door and Hikaru was the one to actually pop it open, and how he was the one to have pulled her out of the wardrobe, immediately springing into hero mode. “I’d never allow them to get married, but short-term might be okay,” he nodded a bit. Reina rolled her eyes a bit but gave him a little smile as she started to text her driver from behind his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: What would be the earliest we could head back home? I’d prefer not to be here for breakfast but I don’t want to interrupt your sleep :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed a bit as she thought back to how she wanted to give her driver a break, but sent it anyway. She clicked back into her messages and saw a text from Kaoru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kaoru: I’m glad to hear that. Things could be working out for everyone. You included</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina couldn’t help but smile softly before looking back down at Tamaki, who was patiently waiting for a response from her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Haruhi seems like the type that knows what she wants, I don’t think you have to worry about screening the guys she gets involved with. I’m sure she wouldn’t take anyone who isn’t good for her,” Reina told him with a little nudge. “You can calm down, Daddy,” she teased, watching as his face scrunched up. “I should start to pack,” she said to herself, about to pull away from him but he stopped her. She gazed back down at him, seeing his eyes fall down to the hem of her shirt, one his hands moving to it and slipping under. “Is it because I called you daddy?” She joked, but he simply shook his head with a completely serious expression as his fingers ran across her bandages. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to see,” he said softly, fingertips grazing across the skin directly above the bandages. Reina thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding, taking hold of her shirt and pulling it over her head, left in only her swimsuit and the bandages across her midsection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s really not that bad, just burns a little now that I’ve cleaned it. I don’t think it’ll scar or anything,” she prefaced. “I think it looks worse than it is,” Reina added as she turned in his grip, using both her hands to gently peel down the bandages, being sure not to rip the flimsy tape in the process. She pulled the gauze away from her skin gently, revealing the scratch marks left behind. She felt Tamaki stiffen. “Mori scared him so he kinda just fell back, but still had a grab on me,” she explained with a little shrug, about to recover it but Tamaki’s hand shot up to stop her, still inspecting it himself. “No big deal, it’ll be gone in a week and a half, probably less.” He ran his fingers across the surrounding area, making sure not to actually touch the wound. Reina waited for him to say something, but he remained silent. “Really, don’t worry about it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why won’t you let me worry over you?” He finally asked, not yet looking up at her. She glanced down at him, silently, not too sure what to say in return. “It hurt when it happened, right?” He asked, looking up at her. Cautiously, she nodded once. “I don’t care how bad it is, I don’t want you in any pain,” Tamaki softly said, gently recovering her side with the bandages and using his hands to turn her back to face him. “I want to protect you,” he quietly told her, both of his hands moving around to her back, moving her body closer to his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck once more, giving him a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can protect me, but you shouldn’t worry about things that are already done and over with,” she explained, leaning down and giving him a little peck on the lips. She glanced back up at the phone in her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Higurashi Driver Line: I’ll admit, I’ve slept a lot today so I think I’m prepared to leave at any time that works best for you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina thought about it for a moment, glancing down at Tamaki before sending out a quick response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: Ok :) Midnight is probably a good time, I want to sleep at home anyway. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m leaving in about two hours,” she informed Tamaki as she tossed her phone aside, giving him a little smile. “So I should pack.” Tamaki nodded as he gently moved her back, allowing him room to stand. “Are you leaving?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m going to help you pack so we have more time to lay together,” he informed her with a gentle smile. Reina studied him for another moment, then finally grinned, leaning up to give him another short kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, baby.” Reina took notice of how Tamaki didn’t allow her to bend down to grab anything, hardly letting her pack at all. Even though she felt a tad babied, she couldn’t help but smile through the process of him jumping in front of her before she could complete any task, taking it on himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I feel taken care of,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, just as he was guiding her back over to the bed once her suitcase was fully packed and sitting her down as gently as he could. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I did need a little comfort tonight,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she admitted, though it probably should have been obvious to her all along. He stood in front of her body for another moment before leaning down, planting a tender kiss on her forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for how this trip turned out,” he told her again. “This will never happen again,” he swore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re giving up on a club trip like this so easily? I think it went great, minus that ordeal,” she joked, running her hand to his chest, but he found no humor in it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re never going to get hurt again,” he elaborated, crouching down enough to look at her. “I’ll protect you from now on. This will never happen to you again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you again for leaving early to bring me home,” Reina said as the driver began to make his way closer to the Higurashi Estate. “That was a big favor to ask of you, to leave so late in the night, so I appreciate it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I was more than happy to,” he responded with a nod, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “Thank you for giving me a little break. It was well enjoyed. Though, you didn’t need to, I could have come to take you into town anytime you needed me to.” Reina shook her head with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They had everything we could have possibly needed at the house, it was no issue, I never even left,” she lied, giving the man a grin from the backseat that he could partially see from the rearview mirror. “I’m glad you enjoyed the peace and quiet. I’ll go back to annoying all the drivers on Monday with my seven car rides a day,” she teased as they pulled into the estate and she pushed the car door open. “I just have to grab my bag from the trunk and I’m out of your hair. Enjoy the rest of your night!” She called as she climbed out, quickly retrieving her bag and then heading up the steps towards the front doors. Reina stopped in front of it, rummaging through her bag to find her keys. Just as she found them and was about to stick the house key into the lock, a staff member swung the door open, leaving both of them startled to see the other person in front of them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh fuck,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Reina yelled out in English, stumbling back a bit with wide eyes before quickly calming herself. “I’m so sorry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no, my mistake!” The man said, nervous laughs falling out of his mouth as he stepped aside, allowing Reina entry. She stepped in and glanced back at the staff member as he closed the door once more, doing a quick double take at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you headed out for the night?” Reina asked curiously, giving the staff member a smile as he quickly shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He didn’t know I was at the door, so he wasn’t opening it for me. Was this what Sora had been talking about a few weeks ago? About an additional door open on the sensor, but Saito not being home? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina wondered, devising a plan in her head. “Would you mind doing me a favor, then? Will you bring a glass of water to my room? I need to shower and afterwards, I just need to go straight to bed. It’s been a long day,” Reina said softly, rubbing the bandages on her hand to gain more sympathy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, this feels gross.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, of course!” The man nodded, making his way past Reina swiftly to obtain the glass of water. Reina grabbed one of her purses from the foyer and quietly slipped out the front door, skipping down the steps as quick as she could with the sore side and moving off to the side of the steps, out of immediate sight from the front door, but still able to see it. Rummaging through her bag, she found a few spare cigarettes and a lighter that Hiroto had slipped to her one day, deciding that she deserved it after the nightmarish last few hours she had just experienced. Lighting it as quick as she could, Reina crouched down to stay further out of sight, peeking behind a pillar to watch the front door in between drags on the cigarette. Finally, after about ten minutes, the front door finally cracked open, slowly revealing the same staff member as earlier. He seemed to be in his own thoughts, holding the door open for a few seconds before shutting it once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That seems self explanatory,” Reina thought out loud, then let out a tiny little sigh as she thought about what she was going to say to Sora. </span>
  <em>
    <span>For now, bedtime,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, flicking the butt of her cigarette aside and heading back up the stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Sora said, standing up as Reina entered the dining hall, eyes fixed on Reina’s. “I know you warned me, but that looks much worse than I imagined.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It looks much worse than it did when I texted you last night,” Reina noted, watching as Sora ordered one of the staff members to get a bag of ice for the swollen eye Reina was wearing. Sora moved around the table and physically sat Reina down in the chair. “Hey, I’m okay,” Reina said, just as the staff member came back with the little bag of ice. Sora handed it to Reina and she hesitantly placed it against her face, letting out a little wince when the piercing cold touched her skin. Sora ran a hand through her hair quickly, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, teenagers,” she sighed softly as she walked back around the table to take her own seat. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like that. Though, I have boys so it was a little less daunting. You’d better start talking about what happened,” Sora demanded, still shaking her head. Reina picked up a slice of toast as she pushed the ice closer to the corner of her eye, letting out a little sigh. “It wasn’t Tamaki, was it?” Sora asked, eyeing Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not,” Reina immediately defended, shaking her head. “Some guys showed up to the private beach we had rented and started messing with some girls. I just was unfortunate enough to get two messing with me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And where were all the boys to protect you?” Sora asked, crossing her arms on the table and leaning on them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Mori came to help me once he heard me. I’m not too sure where Kyoya and Honey were, but Tamaki and the twins were helping out the other girls. They were in a much scarier spot, they were on top of this cliff thing. One of the girls got thrown into the water by one of the guys, so Tamaki had to jump in,” Reina remembered, a little chill going down her spine at the memory. “I saw them going to the cliff when I ran into the other boys and knew that they needed to be there much more than I needed help, at least at first. I called for help once I felt I needed it. I broke one of the guy’s noses, though,” Reina ended with a little grin. Sora let out a huff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have killed them. I hope Mori did,” she said, scooping up her teacup. “Did you file a police report?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luckily, I think Kyoya is handling that,” Reina said with a little smile, adjusting the ice bag against her head as it had begun to melt on the spot mostly against her face. “He got their IDs, and nobody said anything about needing statements or anything so I think I got off really lucky,” Reina thought to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>REALLY lucky. I don’t know how my mom and Eric would react to another police report with my name on it… Though, I’m not too sure what else they could do to me anymore. I’m already sent away and isolated.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “How did Tamaki react?” She asked, and Reina bit the inside of her cheek, glancing down at the toast in her hand and taking a large bite to keep from having to speak for a moment. “Oh, this is going to be good,” Sora mused with a little twinkle in her eye, then her face fell. “Or really bad.” Reina laughed slightly, though her mouth stayed shut until she swallowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We got in a fight, sort of, at first at least. Like I said, he jumped into the water to save Haruhi. Haruhi had gone up to help the other girls while my friend Emica was going to go get the boys. So Tamaki wasn’t aware of the fact that there were any more guys then the two he had just seen, so he didn’t know that I had to deal with anything. When he and Haruhi got out of the ocean, he started to yell at Haruhi for getting involved. I stood up for Haruhi, and Tamaki told me it wasn’t any of my business because I didn’t understand or something,” Reina explained, watching as Sora’s eyes widened with each word. “It was too dark for anyone to see anything, plus my eye wasn’t that bad since it had just happened and I still had some makeup on from the day. Mori and Kyoya were the only ones that seemed to know anything had even happened to me. Maybe Kaoru, I’m not sure, but anyway. I’m not too sure how he reacted when he found out but he was calling me like crazy. I had already left to go get some bandages and stuff, and definitely didn’t want to talk. Finally I answered and he asked me to come to his room when I got back,” she finally got through with a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And did you?” Sora asked, cocking an eyebrow a bit, and Reina glanced down at her toast, taking the rest of the triangle in her mouth, getting a large sigh out of Sora. “So I’m guessing you just came home at that time,” she tried, and Reina shook her head still with a full mouth as she chewed. “So you did go?” Sora guessed, and Reina tilted her head back and forth in a ‘maybe’. “Oh, come on, I need to know,” she said, cupping her cheeks with her hands. Reina finally swallowed the dry bread. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did go to his room, but he was kind of busy. So I asked Kaoru to help me wrap my side and then went back to my room, and Tamaki was waiting for me there,” Reina said, noticing she let the part about her side slip out and she let out an exasperated groan at Sora’s motherly gasp. “Just a little scratch. I was wearing a bathing suit after all, so one of the guys just got a hold of my side. It’s not a big deal. Anyway, I did see Tamaki last night, it just took a while. He was really upset about what happened to me, but it was okay. We’re fine. Probably more than fine, I just feel weird about some stuff,” Reina admitted with a shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, let’s talk about why you feel weird. Maybe we can start with what he had been busy with when you went to his room,” Sora suggested, reminiscences of the scold still lingering on her face. Reina glanced down at her empty plate then up to the tiny stack of toast in the middle of the table, trying to debate shoving another piece in her mouth. “Reina,” Sora warned, and Reina let out a little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was out in the hall hugging Haruhi. The twins and I saw it. She then pulled away and ran away, and he ran after,” Reina cautiously explained, a little scoff coming from Sora’s direction. “But Tamaki said he thought I had been at the door and he basically just dove into her. And then Hikaru followed them and apparently stayed for much later in Haruhi’s room than Tamaki did.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And do you believe him?” Sora questioned,  raising an eyebrow as Reina thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said finally with a little nod. “He was adamant about it. Not only that, but he has no reason to lie because he and I are not dating. I wouldn’t care if he was with Haruhi, just as long as all parties are aware and everything,” Reina confirmed and Sora rolled her eyes again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remind me, how many other guys have you been talking to?” She asked, making Reina pause. “Exactly. You two are essentially dating, stop pushing that away,” Sora mused, making Reina let out a little sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just - I don’t know,” Reina sighed again, repositioning the cold bag once more. At this point, it was mostly melted, so moving it around was a bit of a pain. “It’s just never something I’ve had to deal with before. It would be my first relationship.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to start somewhere,” Sora shrugged, finally finishing off her tea and food, then glanced up at Reina. “You told me you had something else to tell me in your text,” Sora reminded, and Reina nodded just a tiny bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I do. I’m just worried about someone getting in trouble,” Reina started off, biting her lip. “I don’t know if you checked the sensors this morning, but I went outside last night shortly after getting home,” she said, glancing up at Sora. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does this have anything to do with the cigarettes the landscapers keep finding?” Sora mused, shaking her head a little in a motherly reprimand. Reina went pink and she shook her head as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No - I mean, not exactly. Sorry, by the way. I should have mentioned that too. Anyway, um, no. Well, I did go outside to smoke, but I had reasons for doing it. I’m worried about someone else getting in trouble,” Reina rambled, giving Sora an apologetic smile, who really only laughed in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I promise whatever you tell me will remain between us, so long as it’s not something that harmed you,” Sora promised, sitting back in her chair and Reina nodded a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, when I was getting home last night, I was trying to find my keys. Once I found them, I was about to open the door but it opened for me. It was one of the staff members. I guess I just assumed they were headed home for the night, but they let me in and then closed the door behind me,” Reina said softly, watching Sora’s expression, but it stayed pretty much blank. “I thought it was weird, so I asked them to bring a cup of water up to my room while I was showering. I didn’t go take a shower immediately, instead I went outside to see if the door was going to be opened again, and of course it was. I just know you had asked me about that, so I wanted to make you aware of it,” she finished with a little nod. “I just don’t want them to get in trouble because -” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because they’re probably only following orders,” Sora finished, and Reina nodded. “I understand. They won’t be in trouble. Thank you for telling me, Reina,” Sora smiled, standing from her seat and glancing back at the girl. “I’ll see you at lunch and please, keep icing that thing. School will not be fun tomorrow if it gets any worse.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Reluctant Police Report (46)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Six</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sora had been right. Despite the constant ice on Reina’s eye, it was just as swollen on Monday morning as it had been the day before, if not even worse. She had luckily been able to cover all the new discoloration well enough with makeup, but with the severe inflammation, Reina knew it was going to be a shitty next week. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone is going to see,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she sighed to herself as she swung her bag over her shoulder and headed out to the car. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I even have bruises on my neck from when that douche grabbed me. I’m so glad I was able to cover those. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Even the driver seemed to give her a second glance, a look of concern flashing across his face, but he was able to fixate his attention back onto the road and remained silent as he drove to Ouran. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I can just keep my head down for the next two weeks, that would be perfect. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina quietly thanked her driver as she climbed out of the car and did exactly as she just thought of doing. She walked all the way to class with her eyes fixed on the ground, not bothering to look up when she entered and instead just made her way immediately to her seat. Tamaki came in shortly after and saw Reina, which made a familiar feeling wash over him. Similar to the weekend after her first appearance at his host club, he felt his heart flutter rapidly the moment his eyes landed on her. He hadn't seen her since she left the beach house on Saturday night, and though he desperately tried to keep in touch with her all of Sunday, her responses had been sparse. On top of that, he still felt remorse from the amount of time they had lost while not spending their day together on Saturday. Reina's gaze remained engrossed in the folders that were sprawled across her desk, even as Tamaki made his way over and took his position backwards in his chair to focus on her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I feel like I've been in a Reina famish, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to himself, picturing himself crawling out of the desert scenario and was ready to replenish his desire for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even get a greeting from my sweet princess?” Tamaki teased, reaching out and grabbing her hand. She stilled for a moment, but then let out a tiny little laugh, still not looking up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well hello there,” she said softly, and he furrowed his eyebrows. After a moment, Tamaki glanced down at the papers in front of her to see a load of already filled out homework sheets. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think she’s reviewing her answers or anything,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he figured to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t think she was still mad at me by the end of our conversation. Could she still be mad? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He used his other hand to reach out, placing a finger under her chin and slowly lifted her head up to face him. Reina’s eyes widened a bit and she used her free hand to shield her face from the rest of the class. “Yeah, it looks bad, let me look away again please,” she whispered before he could say anything. Tamaki’s heart dropped down to his stomach and he reached out to stroke her undereye gently, but she moved back before he could. “Baby, it looks worse under the makeup so please don’t wipe that off,” she said with a tiny little laugh, trying to find any humor in the situation to keep from crying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It could look worse than that?” Tamaki whispered back, eyebrows furrowing in an astonishment crept onto his face, but stopped as soon as he saw tears puddle up in her eyes. “No, you still look beautiful,” he tried to save but she bit the inside of her cheek and moved out of his grasp, looking back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to lie, it looks awful and I don’t want you to have to see me like this,” she said softly. Tamaki opened his mouth to argue, still keeping his firm grasp on her hand, but he was interrupted by Mr. Goto clearing his throat right above them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Miss Thompson, your presence is being requested down at the office,” Mr. Goto said quietly. Reina glanced up at their teacher and though he was taken aback by the condition of her eye, he gave her a warm smile. “I don’t know much about it, so I would bring your belongings - just in case.” Reina slowly nodded and waited until Mr. Goto returned to his desk before glancing at Tamaki, eyes full of worry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Tamaki said with a tiny little smile, but his entire body was slowly becoming riddled with anxiety, every possible worst case scenario popping into his head. “Text me and keep me updated?” After letting out a tiny sigh, Reina nodded and grabbed her belongings, making a B-line for the classroom door and up towards the office. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What could it be now? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself mournfully as she pulled the office doors open and stepped in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I’m getting lucky and they’re going to put me out of my misery, take me out executioner style,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she mused to herself, approaching the front desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I have your name?” The receptionist asked Reina simply, not yet looking up from her computer screen, expecting just another student who needed a late pass.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina Thompson,” Reina said softly, staring at some of the documents that were scattered across the desk to avoid any uncomfortable eye contact, but she was giving occasional peeks up at the receptionist as not to be rude.  The receptionist’s eyes darted up towards Reina, studying the girl for a moment before giving her a comforting smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, of course. They’re waiting for you inside there,” the receptionist said, waving her towards a door on the side of the office. Reina gave her a nod and a quick thank you before turning towards the door she had been sent towards. The plaque on the door read ‘principal’, and Reina’s body stiffened at the sight of it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They’re waiting for me? Who the hell are ‘they’? And in the principal’s office? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She sighed a bit and knocked softly. She heard the sounds of shuffling, and then someone calling for her to come in, so she pushed the door open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Miss Thompson,” the woman in the middle of the room smiled. “Please come in,” she requested, to which Reina nodded quickly, eyes still fixed on the ground as she entered, letting the door shut behind her. “Take a seat,” the woman told her softly, motioning her to the chair in front of her. Reina finally lifted her head up to survey the room and her breath hitched in her throat, but she quickly sat in the seat before taking an additional glance around. Directly in front of Reina was the principal and to her left was another woman who seemed to be in the same kind of professional attire as the principal was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe her assistant? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought, glancing to the principal’s right to see a police officer, which was making her stomach churn. Though, next to the officer was a sight that made her crack a little smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least I know someone here,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought as she gave a little nod to Yuzuru, who was smiling softly back at her. “Miss Thompson, you and I haven’t had the chance to make ourselves acquainted, I am Mrs. Matsuo. Normally that’s a good thing - not having to meet your principal. However today, it’s not a bad thing to be here. You’re not in trouble,” Mrs. Matsuo said softly, drawing Reina’s attention back to her. Reina gave a little nod, clasping her hands in her lap as she waited for a follow-up. “We received an email late Saturday night from one of our students about the trip taken this weekend with the host club - I’m sure you’re aware of the situation I’m alluding to,” Mrs. Matsuo said as she sat back in her seat and glanced up at Reina’s eye. Reina gave a little tiny nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course, I'm sure it was Kyoya. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Of course</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> he had to add my name in there.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “The student informed us all about the incident that took place on Saturday. We already called home to all the other girls that were involved, but with your circumstances, we felt it best to just call you in to speak to you in person,” Mrs. Matsuo explained, glancing over at Yuzuru briefly. “We were briefed on the fact that you were injured, we just weren’t told to what extent.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We also are here to ensure that you’re in a good place mentally,” the woman on the left gently said, giving Reina a smile. “My name is Kiyo Chiba, but you can just call me Kiyo, I’m a friend - but I’m also Ouran Elite's designated school therapist,” she said. Reina had to hold back an eye roll at the friend statement, but successfully held it back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course she is. Therapists are always sooo friendly.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “We all know things like that can be daunting and can affect you for a much longer time than they should, sometimes they bring up old memories and we want to check in. Our minds would be put at ease to know that's happening currently. How are you feeling, Reina?” Reina’s mind flashed to the last two nights and the amount of times she woke up in a cold sweat, but pushed past that with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing fine, it’ll be something I can laugh about soon,” Reina assured with a little nod, though nobody in the room looked very convinced. After being met with silence, Reina continued on. “I’ll admit, it’s not the first scary situation I’ve found myself in. I did live in New York City and I travel back each year. If you’ve never been there, I’d recommend pepper spray,” she joked. Yuzuru cracked a little smile, but nobody else seemed amused. “Genuinely, though, I’m perfectly fine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Kiyo said slowly, flashing Reina a little smile. “However if anything changes with your mental health, I’d love for you to come see me in my office. I’m available anytime, you can make an appointment with your teacher or just come see me directly either before or after school, or anytime during the day where you have a lapse in work,” she informed and Reina gave a little nod. Kiyo and Mrs. Matsuo exchanged a glance before Reina could hear a drawer opening from the other side of the desk, and Kiyo placed a pack of makeup wipes in between them. “We’ll need you to use these to take your makeup off,” she cautiously told Reina. Reina furrowed her eyebrows, her body visibly stiffening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I guess I just don’t understand. What does my makeup have to do with my mental health, exactly?” She snapped, looking between the pair of women who she had been talking with so far. Reina’s tone had shifted from sweet and understanding to something much more defensive sounding, which shocked everyone in the room, at least a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was that too far? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina wondered as she cracked a short lived, sheepish smile, attempting to soothe the tense atmosphere that she solely had created. Still, she decided not to stand down from her question, refraining from letting out the apology that was sitting on the tip of her tongue. The two women looked between each other again before glancing over at the officer in the room, who finally cleared his throat and opened up his laptop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll need to take photos of your injuries. You left before any of the other victims put in their own statements the following morning, so I’m here to collect yours now,” he stated matter-of-factly, pulling out an outdated digital camera from his chest pocket and setting it on the desk next to his laptop as he began to type. As the officer began to pull up the required documents, Reina couldn't keep her scoff from escaping, against her best efforts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I don’t want to press charges,” Reina said simply, giving everyone another little smile, but nobody returned it. The officer ceased his typing to glance up at Reina, his eyebrows furrowed a little bit. Yuzuru studied Reina, trying to comb through all the things Connor had told him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe she’s worried about how Kimi and Eric will react, but she’s the victim here. That shouldn’t be an issue,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuzuru thought, cut off by Mrs. Matsuo clearing her throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Miss Thompson, you need to. You have to get justice for their actions,” she argued, a little hint of encouragement in her tone. Mrs. Matsuo looked over at Yuzuru, hoping that he would jump in with other uplifting words, but he continued to watch Reina silently for the time being. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not trying to be snarky,” Reina started, looking between everyone in the group.  “But I’m aware of my rights. I’m still a US citizen, and the US Embassy will not force me to report a crime, nor will they do it for me. It’s entirely in my hands, and I’m choosing not to go through anything legal,” she said as seriously as she could. It dawned on her once more how difficult and abrasive she was coming across as she looked around the room, nothing but wide eyes and shock meeting her. “I’m sure you’re all aware of the fact that I have to be on a Visa to attend school here, and I don’t want to jeopardize that. I like Ouran too much for the risk,” she added with a little grin directed towards both Mrs. Matsuo and Yuzuru, trying to save herself a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the victim in this circumstance, you would never lose your visa over that,” Yuzuru finally said, and Reina turned her undivided attention to him. “I’m sure we were all hoping you would make the decision to make the report on your own. However, since you aren’t, I unfortunately have to inform you that since the occurrence took place on a trip that was affiliated with the school, it’s something we’re requiring of you,” he told her gently, watching as her eyes filled with tears, though she didn’t allow any of them to fall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she finally responded, glancing down at the ground and biting her lip. “If I don’t have a choice, then okay,” she nodded, then looked back up at Yuzuru, her eyes full of fear. “Do my parents need to be involved in this report?” She asked, glancing over at the officer who shook his head a little bit, so she looked back at Yuzuru. “And as far as the school is concerned, do my parents need to be contacted?” Yuzuru could hear the pleading in her tone loud and clear. Mrs. Matsuo opened her mouth to respond to the question, but Yuzuru handled it before she could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, they do. However, I’ll call your dad personally,” he responded, sending her a little smile with a little glimmer in his eye. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s better than my mom and Eric, but still… fuck my life. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina nodded a little bit, tears still pooled in her eyes as she glanced back at the rest of the group. She reached forward and grabbed the makeup wipes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have any makeup in my bag or anything, and I hope you all would understand that I don’t want to go back to class without having any on, so I’ll be going home after the questioning,” Reina finally said, getting understanding nods from both Yuzuru and Mrs. Matsuo. She glanced over at the officer. “I have injuries below my dress as well,” she explained, a little grimace on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why the hell couldn’t I have gotten a female officer? Who sends out a male officer to talk to a girl in these circumstances? Idiots</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The man nodded and stood up, grabbing both his laptop and his camera. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can conduct your interview somewhere privately so I can get the pictures there as well,” he said as he scooted around Yuzuru to head towards the door. Reina froze for a moment, glancing over at Kiyo. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They’re just gonna send me with this fucking cop to get undressed alone? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered, clearly still frustrated. After a moment, the woman seemed to notice Reina’s look, which was essentially a glare, and finally understood. She jumped up to accompany them as the three left the room. Before they left, Reina looked over at Yuzuru and shot him a little smile, nodding her head once in a thanks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The only thanks I have for this stupid situation.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As the door closed, Mrs. Matsuo turned to face Yuzuru, who had already pulled out his cell phone to call Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to say, I was a bit surprised when you informed me that you wanted to be involved in this meeting. But that was quite the unusual circumstance,” she said softly, glancing back up at the door. Yuzuru nodded once, though didn’t look up. It was clear that the woman was looking for a little bit more insight on the situation, and luckily for Reina, Yuzuru would not be revealing any of her secrets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to ensure that this went smoothly for everyone,” he said simply, then cast a short glance in her direction. “Do you mind if I use your office for a few moments?” Mrs. Matsuo nodded and hastily headed out of the room. Yuzuru pressed the call button and let out a little sigh, waiting for it to pick up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it good or bad?” Connor asked as soon as he answered, and Yuzuru couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“More informative than anything,” he started off cautiously, sitting back in his chair and lightly tapping his pointer finger against the desk in front of him. He could hear Connor sigh from the other end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m going to assume bad then. I tried to email Reina over the weekend and never got a response. Sometimes she takes a day, but never just ignores me unless something is happening,” he explained, taking a seat in his own home office all the way from Los Angeles. “I’m ready for it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Tamaki’s club hosted a getaway weekend for some of the guests, and Reina accompanied them on that trip. They had rented a private beach and a house for all of the guests, as opposed to trying to handle hotels and bookings for everyone. Saturday evening, some boys snuck out onto that private beach and there was,” Yuzuru paused, trying to find the words. “An incident,” he finally finished. Connor stayed silent on the other end, waiting for something else. “Reina ran into two of them and I wasn’t thoroughly briefed on what all entailed, Tamaki seemed upset about the ordeal so I didn’t pry too heavily on it. Reina left the trip early, so all the other girls who were involved put in their statements, and we decided with her circumstances it would be best to meet with her in person today as opposed to sending an officer to her host home or calling anyone. It wasn’t until I came into the school to discuss it with Reina that I saw she at least has a black eye. An officer is with her taking a statement as well as pictures of her injuries, apparently she has one under her dress as well. It’s policy that we talk to parents about these incidents, considering it happened on a trip with one of our clubs.” As Yuzuru finished, Connor finally let out a large sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, thank you for telling me. Does she seem okay?” He asked quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he began quietly, trying to gather his thoughts. “Some moments, yes. Others, no. Though even in the moments where she seems fine, it feels a bit like an act,” Yuzuru noted and Connor let out an exasperated little laugh. “She was a little snappy as well. I understand - tense situation, she’s not in trouble and my ego is far from bruised, but that side of her is definitely nothing I’ve seen from her when she’s been over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. She does that,” Connor admitted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to admit, I lied to her,” Yuzuru said, glancing around the office in front of him. “She was pretty adamant about not filing a police report. We’ve never really had an encounter like that, so I lied a bit and told her it was required. Is there a reason for the hesitancy of filing a report?” There was a little pause.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is,” Connor finally said, letting out another sigh. “There was another incident,” he let out a sad laugh in the middle of his sentence. “Incident is the wrong word. It was much worse than just a little incident. It was when she was living in France for her second year. I think she’s probably expecting a repeat of that,” Connor informed, shaking his head and rubbing one of his temples. “Kimi and Eric wouldn’t come out for any of the court dates, and since I’m not on her birth certificate, I wasn’t allowed to sit with her. I just had to sit behind and be there, though far away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was she in trouble?” Yuzuru asked, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I would have noticed a criminal record on her transcript. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With the law? No. She was the victim,” Connor responded sadly, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. “I’m not too sure about trouble at home, though. I’m not too sure how much Reina has debriefed about her relationship with Kimi, but there was a definite shift after that incident,” Connor said, through almost gritted teeth as he thought about the many crying phone calls he got from Reina. “They used to at least talk occasionally, and that’s not so much the case anymore. There is another aspect of it, as well. It sounds like this incident is a little more open and close, with witnesses and everything; however, in France, she had to go through some vigorous lawyers and a handful of days in court. I’m sure she’s concerned about going through all of that again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that anything I should be worried about?” Yuzuru asked, a little frown on his face. Connor sighed softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not unless you’re concerned about the family she’s staying with out there. I tried so hard to pull her out of the program and bring her to my house after that ordeal, but Kimi obviously didn’t allow it. I even offered to enroll in the host program to get her sent here without it looking suspicious, but the answer was no,” Connor explained, then frowned. “She says she’s fine now. But like you pointed out earlier, she’s much too chipper for the circumstances sometimes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, thank you for letting me know. I don’t know much about the Higurashi’s to be completely honest with you, but I’ll keep an eye out,” Yuzuru noted to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Connor said, then glanced over at his laptop. “If you see Reina again, will you kindly ask her to respond to my email? Or better, call me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She informed us all that she would be going home after the officer got his report down,” he said, and Connor had to stifle a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She told you guys she would be leaving? Yeah, that sounds like her. Sorry about that,” he said, finally allowing a lone chuckle to come through. “I’ll call her soon then. Tell me, while we’re on the phone, have her and your son still been spending time together?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An extraordinary amount,” Yuzuru laughed a bit. “It was very surprising to not have her over at least one day this weekend. Granted, they were out of town on Saturday, but I actually expected that to be more of a reason for her to likely be over for the rest of the time that they weren’t on their getaway.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So are we going to be paying for a wedding in the next few years?” Connor asked, voice flat as if he wasn’t excited about the ordeal, though he had a little smile on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, tradition is that the bride’s family pays. Which I think means Kimi and Eric would be picking up the tab,” Yuzuru joked, getting a roar of laughter out of Connor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck with that,” Connor said, shaking his head a little. “Keep me updated so I can start saving. I remember how your family would do parties, I’ve got to bring my A-game,” he said, then at the same time, they each had the same thought. “Well, if your mom agrees to it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about that,” Yuzuru said, though the thought was weighing heavy on his own mind. “We’ll talk soon. I’m sure Reina is almost done with the officer, and I’m sure you want to talk to her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay. Thank you again, Yuzuru. We’ll talk soon,” he repeated before hanging up with a little sigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It would be interesting to know just how much Shizue knows, and what her thoughts would be on the circumstance. I may not find it too interesting if we have to live out those consequences though,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought as he sent out a quick text to Reina. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe she’ll do everyone a favor and croak before then.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Reina finished, she quickly headed out to the front of the school, trying desperately to make it out to the car before any passing periods. She got into the car and checked on her phone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Connor texted me. I should have guessed that would happen.</span>
  </em>
  <span> All it had said was ‘call me when you get a chance’. She sighed softly and quickly sent out a text to Tamaki to keep him updated, just as he had asked of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reina: I’m going home</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once she got to the house, Reina thanked the driver who had been staring back at the darkened black eye alongside the bruises on her neck before rushing into the house and up the stairs to her room as quick as her feet would take her. She let out a little groan as soon as she made it to her room, trying to process everything as she stripped out of her school uniform. After she had changed into a baggy tee shirt, she decided to give a call to Connor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I could probably use someone to talk to anyway.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey sweet girl,” Connor said after immediately picking up the phone, speaking in English. Reina made her way over to the bed and practically threw herself down onto it. “You didn’t think this ordeal was worth telling me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not really,” she shrugged. “I should have told you that I broke one guy’s nose. That was pretty cool,” she mused, still clearly a little proud of it.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, congratulations,” Connor said dully, shaking his head. “I don’t care about that. How are you? What happened? Yuzuru could only tell me what he knew.” Reina sighed softly as she briefly went through the date, leaving out some parts that just felt too weird to explain over again. “Well, I knew I liked Mori when he drove us back to the hotel,” Connor noted, then frowned. "Yuzuru mentioned to me that you seemed… hesitant about filing a police report."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"When you say hesitant, did you mean bitchy? Because I was probably really bitchy. It was a real show, you should have been there. Verbally abused everyone in the room," she jokingly admitted, unable to hold back her laughter. Connor chuckled for a moment, but sharply cut himself off in order to try and remain serious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't need to talk about yourself like that. I meant what I said," he told her, taking a deep breath to hold back the smile on his lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Her joking is always her way of deflecting, I can't keep laughing along. No matter how outlandish her words can be and how funny they are. </span>
  </em>
  <span>"You don't need to worry about that report. It's done and over with, I assure you, it's not the same."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," she sighed, glancing up at her ceiling. "I'm sure you're right."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you never answered how you were.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Reina said simply, though tears had already started to pool in her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you though?” A pause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been having nightmares again,” she admitted quietly. “I’m fine during the day, but it’s just been bad at night. It’s just been a while since something so intense happened like that. I’ll be fine though, it’s only been the last two days.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you talked to anyone about the nightmares you’re having?” Connor asked. Another pause.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Other than right now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then no,” Reina said with a little huff. “It’s not like I can just say ‘I’m having these nightmares’, it comes with a whole backstory that I have no desire to get into.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay to confide in people, you know,” he reminded her as he could hear a little sniffle come from the other end. “You’ve got to talk about these kinds of things. I know it’s been a while, but - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Reina said, her voice shaky. She turned to her side so she could hug her knees to comfort herself a bit more. “It’s been a while, and it should stay back there. I wouldn’t even be thinking about it right now if this dumb thing didn’t happen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But it still happened, and you’re still thinking about it,” Connor sighed. “You don’t have to talk to someone new about it. Call me, or call one of your other host sisters, the ones who were there for it. The middle of the night your time is only morning here, just call me if you need to. Can you promise me that? And can you promise me that you’ll tell me if things start to get worse again, before it actually happens?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Reina finally said, wiping her tears just as her door creaked open. She sat up quickly to see a panting Tamaki in the doorway. “Uh, Tamaki’s here, gotta go,” she said quickly before hanging up the phone and looking back at Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t until I was opening your door that I realized you might have meant you were just coming here, not that you were going home to New York,” Tamaki admitted, leaning against the doorway and letting out a deep breath. “Sorry. I might have scared some of your staff. I ran up here,” he said in between breaths, almost falling completely over from the gust of new exhaustion. He glanced back up at her, his hands pressed to his knees as he hunched over. “You’re not going </span>
  <em>
    <span>home</span>
  </em>
  <span> home, right?” Reina stared at him with wide eyes, tears still making her way down her face, before slowly a smile crept onto her face and she couldn’t help but laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re such a goof,” she said softly. “No, I’m not going back to New York. Did you run all the way here from school?” She asked, furrowing her eyebrows together. He gave a tiny nod and she sighed, grabbing the mostly full glass of water she had retrieved after one of her awakenings in the night. “Come here,” she said, holding the glass out to him. Tamaki rushed over to take the glass, swallowing the entire amount in two brisk drinks. Reina wiped some of her remaining tears away as he set the glass back down on the table and he looked down at her. “You’re sweet. You could have just texted or called, I would have clarified.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t even think, I just needed to get to you as fast as I could,” he admitted, crouching down so he could look up at her. He reached out, lightly touching her neck, fixated on the bruises that he had yet to see. “Rei,” he said quietly, glancing back up at her and she sent him a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I be selfish?” She asked, and he nodded immediately. “I know you probably should go back to school, but will you stay with me? Please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he responded instantaneously, sending her an equally soft smile before looking at her neck once more. “Why didn’t you tell me about this part?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgot until the bruises showed up,” she shrugged, moving to stand but he stopped her. “I’m just trying to get you some other clothes.” He shook his head as he stood back upright. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can do it,” he called as he turned to walk to her closet, opening it and peeking in and trying something that would work for him. “Did I bring that pair of sweatpants that you let me wear to my house?” He asked, peeking back around at her and she gave a little nod. “Of course I did. I’ll have to bring them back so I have something to wear here,” he noted to himself, pulling out a sweatshirt and continuing to search for pants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to wear bottoms,” she reminded him softly, glancing down at herself, not wearing any pants either. He thought about it for a moment before nodding and beginning to strip down, neatly folding his uniform and setting it on her vanity chair, then pulled the sweatshirt over his head. As he did, she had tugged her laptop off of her nightstand in search of a movie for the couple to watch. “Will you do me one more favor?” She asked, glancing up at him in the middle of her search and he gave another nod. “Will you close the curtains?” She requested, so he immediately moved to the other side of the room to shut them. “I might fall asleep, you don’t have to stick around if I do,” she told him as he climbed into the bed. Once she found something decent enough, she pushed the laptop towards the end of the bed and turned to him. He was sitting up against the headboard, legs spread and arms outstretched, ready to hold her but she shook her head. “I just told you I might fall asleep, it’ll be harder for you to leave if I’m on top of you,” she laughed, laying down next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not leaving, get over here,” he ordered, nudging her a little. She laughed a bit and looked up at him to argue, but he already had puppy dog eyes ready to go, holding his arms back out for her, opening and closing his hands. She scrunched up her nose but almost immediately sat up and moved in between his legs, just physically unable to say no to his eyes. As soon as she did, he wrapped his arms around her chest area, trying to be careful of the scratch on her waist, and pulled her into his body, a new grin on his face. Her back rested against the front of him and she let out a tiny giggle, one arm wrapping around his bent leg and the other reaching up, clasping her hand on top one of his own. “Did they send you home?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I told them I was going home when they forced me to take my makeup off and file a police report,” she said bitterly, then glanced up at him, the back of her head against his collarbone. “I wasn’t rude about it - I don’t think. I don’t care, anyway. I just said I’m sure they would understand that I would not be returning to class with the state of my face. I think I might have been meaner had your dad not been there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My dad was there?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Reina gave a little nod. “He normally doesn’t attend meetings with students.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it was because it was me,” Reina reminded, to which Tamaki gave a little nod. “I’m grateful he was there. Like I said, I probably would have been meaner had he not been there. In a room with a principal, a therapist, and a cop,” she gagged a little, but continued. “But also, instead of calling my mom and Eric, he implied that he would call Connor for me. So I appreciate that.” Tamaki gave a soft smile, moving the hand that wasn’t underneath her own and started to smooth out some of her hair. Reina noticed he kept glancing over at her black eye and neck as she spoke. “I can put on makeup again if it’ll make you more comfortable,” she told him quietly, and he rapidly shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m not uncomfortable. I just feel bad for you,” he assured softly, still lightly playing with her hair. “Looking at it, I know that once it heals, it’s the last time I’ll ever have to see it. I’ll never let it happen to you again.” Reina smiled a bit and moved her body a little, leaning her side up against him and giving him a quick kiss on his jawline before resting her head down on his collarbone once more, closing her eyes. “Were you up late last night?” He asked, and she gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kind of,” she responded, moving both of her arms and wrapping them around his torso. He continued to stroke her hair, leaning down to plant a little kiss on the top of her head and she almost melted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It wouldn’t hurt to talk a little bit about it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I haven’t slept very well the last few nights. I keep waking up. Saturday sort of brought up other, old memories so it’s just been weird,” she explained quietly, letting out a tiny yawn. “Hopefully it’ll be better with you here,” she tiredly said, suddenly realizing she was much too tired to carry on a conversation and silently hoping he wouldn’t take that invitation for a discussion. He noticed as she slowly began to fall asleep in his arms and he gave the top of her head another soft kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay every day and every night,” he whispered into the red locks, just as he felt her go completely limp in sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As peaceful as she looked, it only took her about fifteen minutes to jolt back awake, sitting up and making Tamaki jump for a moment as well. She blinked before glancing over at the movie, noticing it was still in a very similar spot as to when she first fell asleep and she let out a little huff, resting her head against him once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she said softly, just as his arms wrapped further around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would it be better to lay down?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he watched her. Her eyes were glossed over, but her expression was blank as she glanced up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Possibly,” she finally answered quietly. He nodded a little and adjusted the both of them, first scooping her up in his arms and setting her on the bed beside him, then pulling her down back into his extended arms as he laid against the mattress. “Thank you, sorry again,” she muttered into the sweatshirt, her face pressing against his chest as both her arms wrapped around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to talk about it?” He finally asked after ensuring she hadn’t fallen back asleep. Reina thought about it for a moment before shaking her head against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not right now,” she almost whispered, and he leaned down to plant one more kiss on the top of her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then when you’re ready, I’m ready to hear.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Cue the Zuka Club (47)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Seven</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not too shabby for a little under two weeks of practice,” Hiroto mentioned as the two stepped backstage together, the sound of loud cheers and applause still ringing all throughout the auditorium. The day after Reina had gotten back to school following the police report incident, Mrs. Tanaka had mentioned the opportunity to perform for the cultural festival. All of the students who weren’t involved in the play were asked first, and Reina was quick to jump at the chance to make an appearance - as well as forcing Hiroto to join in. Luckily, her eye had mostly healed, so she didn’t have to deal with going on stage in front of everyone still looking injured. They had just stepped off stage from their first performance, which was a small group musical act. Reina gave Hiroto a little grin as she grabbed her phone from a table backstage, avoiding collision with the other performers from other schools who were huddled around, each of them patiently waiting around for their turns. She checked the time then groaned a bit, turning to Hiroto. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got to run. I’m supposed to be helping Tamaki with his club,” she mumbled, pulling the mic from her ear and handing it off to Hiroto apologetically. “And I still need to change, too. Can you take care of that for me?” She asked, and he gave a little nod. “See you in about two hours for our duet,” she grinned, scooping her bag up in a quick swing and rushing out of the backstage area, heading towards the area she had left her designated dress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After swiftly changing in one of the dressing rooms, Reina grabbed her belongings and bounded off towards music room 3. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki had asked me to come act as a hostess for a day, just in case any men wandered into the room or anything. He still wanted to show off for all the newcomers, even if it’s not their typical demographic,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she recalled, glancing down at her dress. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew I told him I might be late, but I was hoping I wouldn’t be. And now I have to run in this big ball of tulle. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina made sure not to cause too much of a scene, slowing dramatically when she headed around corners to ensure that she didn’t ram into any of Ouran’s guests. As she pulled up to the double doors, she noticed Kyoya standing outside, pulling his phone from his ear and shoving it in his pocket. They made eye contact before giving each other a little nod and silently walked through the doors together. No discussion about why she was late, and no discussion about why he was on the phone, like a mutual understanding of the other’s silence. Most of the hosts were far too busy to have even noticed her arrival, though Honey made it a point to say hello to Reina when she came in. Reina noticed that the demographic hadn’t changed too much, the room was still filled with a sea of girls, but nevertheless she made her way over to her area that Tamaki had set aside for her. Everyone once in a while, a lone man or two would wander into the room and be escorted to Reina’s area. Though they seemed hesitant at first, by the end of the hosting sessions, Reina had the most number of guests that had remained still seated in her area. They all were conversing with one another and had yet to notice the time nor did they notice the other hosts closing down shop in their own area. Tamaki glanced over to see all of the men on Reina’s couches completely enthralled in what she had to say, and he lit up with jealousy at the sight of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you asked her to do that in the first place,” Kaoru noted, just as Tamaki had taken a step to send the boys away. Tamaki turned around to see the twins staring forward, watching Reina with crossed arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s doing a good job though, I’ll give her that,” Hikaru mentioned. Tamaki glanced back at Reina. He couldn’t hear the conversation from his current standing, but he could see how much she was interacting. One of the boys said something and he could see Reina cock an eyebrow, her familiar little smirk pushing onto her lips as she responded something back. It was clearly something witty, because all of the other guys let out a loud laugh, one of them now nudging the blushing boy who had said something in the first place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Their time is up, they should be leaving,” Tamaki nearly hissed, but he could hear little tsking sounds coming from the twins behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go getting all jealous now, you do that every day,” the twins pointed out together, making Tamaki almost burst into flames. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not jealous, but it’s my turn to spend time with her now!” Tamaki yelled, making every head in the room turn to him. Reina blinked, then let out a small little giggle to the group of guys in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry guys for my belligerent </span>
  <em>
    <span>guest</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He's antsy, I suppose,” Reina said loud enough for the group of three to hear, getting a few chuckles out of the guys as she sent a little wink over to the completely flustered blonde. “I guess our time is up. Thank you all for spending time with me,” she said, standing up from the couch and quickly followed by the rest of the boys around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to be here again tomorrow?” One of the guys asked as they all began to walk closer towards the door, which made Tamaki’s eyes widen in horror. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They want to see her again?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not too sure, that hasn’t been discussed. Though you all are welcome to stop by and see. I’ll be happy to host you once again if that ends up being the case,” Reina informed them, giving them all a sweet smile and tilting her head a bit to the side, her hands clasped in front of her. They all swiftly nodded and said their goodbyes before heading back out of the room. Reina made her way over to Tamaki and the twins, giving the boys one last wave as they walked out the door. As soon as the door shut, her smile dropped and she turned to the three. “I don’t know how you guys can do that everyday, it was so weird.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They didn’t seem to think it was weird,” the twins mused together and Reina gave a little laugh and a shrug before turning to Tamaki, who was still a bit pale from the whole ordeal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your turn to spend time with me, hm?” Reina mused. As if on cue, the twins immediately dispersed and headed over towards the rest of the club, barring Haruhi who was still out on an instant coffee run. Tamaki let out an excuse for a laugh, more of a nervous huff than anything as he glanced around the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just didn’t want you getting uncomfortable or anything, you just said it was weird, I didn’t want you to have to spend more time than I had originally asked for,” he rambled, but was stopped when he felt her lips press against his for a brief moment, shutting him up completely and sending his cheeks from the ghostly white to that of a tomato. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re cute,” she gently teased, giving him a little smile. The majority of the host club had seen the short kiss out of the corner of their eyes, and little smiles made their way across most of their lips. “I’ll spend the rest of my time with you before I have to head out again.” He gave a little nod, glancing over at his friends, who all were now just watching the two with almost nothing else to do, but their heads snapped in different directions at the sight of Tamaki’s gaze in their direction. He tried to find some sort of words to say, but the sound of the door opening shut him up again. In the doorway were two girls, each in an identical uniform. Tamaki and Reina each exchanged a glance before nodding and splitting ways again. Tamaki went forward to greet the new girls, and Reina went back to her original spot to start cleaning up the mess that she and the boys had left behind. She could hear the two girls talking, but didn’t bother listening in until she heard Tamaki let out an exasperated huff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine then, what do girls like you want to hear?” He asked, taking the sword from his cosplay and resting it against his shoulder, the other hand on his hip. Reina’s head perked up and she furrowed her eyebrows, just as a new voice approached. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe something like - I would never leave my lover alone,” the sultry voice sang, every head in the room staring out the double doors to see a tall woman in the same identical uniform as the first two girls. Though, almost everyone’s eyes widened to see her clinging to a straight faced Haruhi. “If we fight, we fight together,” she continued, spinning Haruhi around. “If we fail, it’ll be together,” the girl said, dropping to one knee and taking Haruhi’s hand in her own and bringing it towards her face. “Even if I were to die, I promise I would never leave your side, my love,” the girl concluded, giving Haruhi a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Each of the boy’s mouths dropped, but Reina just watched in some sort of amusement. As each of the girls began to dote on Haruhi, Reina finally finished up the tidying up of her area and began to make her way over to the group. As she got closer, Tamaki seemed to have finally snapped out in the trance he was in to go berate the girls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go touching my little girl without my permission!” He yelled as he charged forward, only to be hit by the tallest girl of the group right in the jaw, sending him backwards. Reina’s eyes widened as she rushed forward, dropping down to his level. “She hit me, she’s so violent!” He yelled, directly before noticing Reina’s presence and immediately tried to play it cool. “I’m okay,” he said quickly, putting on a tough face as he turned back to the three girls, trying to only subtly rub at his sore jaw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh dear, Benio, it looks like they’ve imprisoned two beautiful girls, and not just the one they’ve forced into men’s attire like we originally thought,” one of the first two girls said, noticing Reina in the room and tilted her head as she began to study Reina, who furrowed her eyebrows in return. Reina sat back on her shins, one hand on Tamaki’s shoulder and the other resting against all the tulle of her princess cosplay dress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Imprisoned?” She asked, cocking her head to the side, but Benio pressed on without acknowledging Reina’s confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I suppose all the rumors are true. This club is just filled with weak little punks with no sense between them, nothing but a bunch of arrogance,” Benio announced, looking at all the men in the room, excusing the two girls from the insult. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those uniforms, are you from Lobelia Girls Academy?” Kyoya asked, which made Benio’s attention turn to him and a little smirk cast across her face. The girls began their little introduction, introducing both their names and their club with their song and costumes. The host club just stared back at them in almost disbelief. Reina glanced around at the shell shocked faces around her and couldn’t help but giggle. She slapped her hand over her mouth and as another one came through, she turned herself away so as to not be any more rude than she was already being. As the Zuka Club turned their attention to the giggling ginger, their hands still up in the air from their stunt, the twins couldn’t help but join in. The three of them soon grew into a loud laughter, leaning against each other and holding onto their stomachs. Hikaru had to place both his hands on his knees in a hunch as his laughing almost turned into wheezing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Zuka Club, what a stupid name,” he spit out, still cracking up. Reina, who had almost been over the giggling went right back into it, covering her mouth with both hands this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They had those get ups under their uniforms and everything,” Kaoru howled, throwing his head back in another uproar of laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, that was a little ridiculous, you have to admit,” Reina said to the three girls who were staring right at her as she wiped a little tear from her eye caused by the obscene amount of laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t underestimate the power of the Zuka Club!” A voice called out, as maniacal laughter and the sound of metal grinding against itself filled the room. Renge appeared from beneath the floor, also in her own form of cosplay, though not corresponding with the host club's attire. Renge began to go through the brief history of the Zuka Club. The host club listened in intently to receive the information they were looking for, whereas the Zuka Club listened in with admiration of the retelling of their story. Chizuru, however, kept casting little glances at Reina throughout Renge’s speech. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure seem to know a lot about Lobelia, Renge,” Kyoya noted, and Renge let out a little giggle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I admire it, but I could just never go to school there,” Renge admitted, intertwining her fingers together and resting her cheek against the back of one of her hands. Reina let out a little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know the feeling,” she said, and the two girls exchanged a glance before grinning at each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No boys,” they said together, which made Renge fall into another little set of her maniacal laughter. Tamaki took a prideful stance, hands on his hips while completely stuck in an admiring gaze sent Reina's way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I knew you could never live without me, my little princess," he noted to Reina. She looked up at him, playfully rolling her eyes but gave him a short shrug, unable to think of a rebuttal. Tamaki had been so tunnel visioned on Reina, that he had yet to notice another in the room who was watching her with a similar level of doting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boys are absolutely unnecessary,” Chizuru said softly, taking a few steps towards Reina. The sight of it made Tamaki revert back from his bliss to once again that of shock and anger, his cheeks flaming a bright red. He had almost forgotten that the Zuka Club was even still there. Reina furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Chizuru, letting out a small little laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I beg to differ,” she said simply. Chizuru reached out with her free hand and lifted it to cup Reina’s cheek. The men in the room hardly noticed as Reina flinched slightly at the hand approaching her face, but all three of the Lobelia girls caught onto it immediately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you poor angel,” Chizuru gasped, moving her hand much slower to Reina’s cheek, giving it a short stroke. “Blink twice if you’re in trouble, we’ll save you from this nightmare.” Reina only blinked once, staring up at Chizuru in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In trouble?” The twins asked together, glancing around the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s clearly a victim of domestic violence. Tell me, which one of them did it?” Hinako asked, crossing her arms as she glanced around the room. Benio was giving each of the boys a glare, trying to decipher which was the culprit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A victim?” Reina asked quietly, furrowing her eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Domestic violence?” Tamaki shouted, eyes shooting out of his skull. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>ladies</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t know anything! Reina has never been hit!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least, not by us,” Kyoya mused, surprisingly getting a little laugh from Reina, and a mixture of shocked expressions and glares from the rest of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not a victim of domestic violence, right, Rei-Chan?” Honey asked directly to Reina, and she gave him a quick head shake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Silence!” Benio declared, taking a few steps closer to Reina, but kept her distance as if Reina was a beaten, scared puppy. “Which one of them did it? We’ll be sure to make them pay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of them,” Reina said immediately, losing the short lived amusement she had found in Kyoya’s comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t lie for them,” Hinako piped up encouragingly, but Reina just frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not,” she argued back, looking around the room to all of the silent hosts, searching for some sort of assistance in the argument.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s telling the truth,” Haruhi finally said. Tamaki, Reina, and the twins all let out a sigh of relief as the trio seemed to believe Haruhi’s statement - at least, slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can say what you want, but I know that whoever it is that’s keeping you with this group is surely nothing compared to how we could treat you,” Chizuru said, now turning back to Reina and very carefully resting a single finger under her chin, forcing Reina to lift her head just enough to look at Chizuru, who was just a smidge taller than Reina was. “Nothing compared to how </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> could treat you,” she corrected coolly. “You may not be in any particular danger, but we can still save you from this nightmare.” Tamaki’s loud gasp could be heard from any part of the room they were in and he prepared to lunge forward, ready to rip Chizuru’s hand from Reina, but he stopped when he saw Reina give the girl a small smile. A smile he couldn’t quite read, but it was somewhere in the realm of mischief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “I find it interesting that you’re trying to chastise the host club for their arrognancy, but you must be pretty oblivious if you don’t think that’s what you’re putting out as well. Complete egotism,” Reina concluded, her innocent smile still intact.  Both Chizuru’s face and her finger under Reina’s chin dropped and she just blinked back, unable to think of a rebuttal. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. A comeback smile. I’ve seen that one enough, I should have known,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki realized, calming down immensely. Benio jumped in, shifting the conversation to a praiseful one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My, my. She’s beautiful, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> she’s outspoken,” Benio called from behind them, so Chizuru turned to look at Benio. “And now that I think about it - talented, if I’m correct. That was you we had seen performing earlier, right?” Benio asked. “Those talents could be applied elsewhere, instead of being spent with lowlives such as these,” she announced, glancing around at the group that was slowly losing their interest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew I recognized you!” Hinako said with a grin, pulling out a pamphlet for the daily performances and reading through quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha! Reina hasn’t been in any of today’s performances, so you’re wrong!” Tamaki called out, hands flying back to his hips in a new wave of triumph. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What idiots, I would have known if she was, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to himself confidently, his chin pointing almost all the way to the sky. Reina’s face paled just slightly as she looked over at Tamaki. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, shit,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “So your name is Reina, you must be Reina Thompson, right? You did so good! It looks like you have two more, we’ll have to stop in!” Hinako grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll surely see us there,” Chizuru agreed, casting another look over at Reina accompanied by a swift wink, though Reina seemed unamused by the charade. Tamaki glanced back over at Hinako, blinking a few times before rushing over to grab the pamphlet from her hands, his eyes soaring through it to find what she had been talking about. Reina gave a little nod of thanks to the first year, trying hard to ignore Tamaki’s confused face, a small smile on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Performances?” Tamaki asked, now looking at Reina who was trying to find a way to escape the conversation, glancing back at the twins who were pulling out their games. “I didn’t know you were involved in any of the acts today, Reina,” he said, eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See! These boys don’t even care about you girls and the lives you live outside of what you can offer for them,” Benio declared, all three members of the Zuka Club shaking their heads mournfully. “You both should come with us,” Benio reiterated, turning back to look at Haruhi, who was just watching the ordeal go down. Reina rolled her eyes about as far back as they could go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not even remotely true, but I don’t think anyone could change your minds. I’m happy where I’m at, thanks for the concern. I think it’s also arrogant to assume we’re heroines in need of rescue, as if we’re incapable of making sound decisions on our own, but I digress,” Reina finally said, shutting down the conversation as she moved behind the couch where the twins sat and leaned down to watch them play, not noticing as the faces of the Zuka Club nearly dropped out of oblivion at her words. She finally glanced up at the distraught looking Tamaki. “I didn’t mention it, sorry, it just didn’t seem important,” she shrugged before looking back down at the twins again, trying to remain as nonchalant as she could about the miscommunication. Tamaki frowned even deeper, but stayed silent, a pout slowly forming on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m glad we were able to sneak a peek at the notorious host club,” Benio finally concluded after being able to find her voice and charm once more, before glancing back at Haruhi. “And to think, they’re dragging these sweet girls down with them, no matter how oblivious they may be,” Benio said, casting a glance back at Reina, who didn’t look back up from the games as she silently made a shooing gesture in their direction. It seemed like the conversation was all going to end there, but Benio turned her body back around in a new wave of annoyance at their complete disregard for her and her words. “The host club president may be a pretty little halfer, but he shouldn’t use his looks and charm to create fictitious relationships and toy with the hearts of the fair maidens who attend! It’s demeaning! Your so called club activities are nothing more than debasing macho fantasies,” she declared, getting a nod of approval from both Chizuru and Hinako. “I promise you, we will bring you guys down! The Ouran Host Club will be abolished!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All hail Zuka Club!” The three members shouted, getting in their formation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” Kyoya said quietly, pushing his glasses up before looking up at the girls. “But do you think we could finish this later? Our club president is still dealing with some new information,” Kyoya explained, motioning over to Tamaki in the corner of the room sulking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would have gone to see her performance,” he quietly mumbled, tapping at the armor on his knee. Reina glanced over finally and sighed softly as guilt sat heavier on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me,” Haruhi finally said, walking forward with a tray of coffee cups. The three girls began to dote on Haruhi once more, so Reina took the opportunity to step away from the group. She walked over to Tamaki and crouched down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she said softly, giving him a little smile. He didn’t look up right away, so she sighed again and took a seat on the ground across from him. From behind, Reina could hear Benio announce they would be transferring Haruhi to Lobelia, but she didn’t pay it much mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s not going to happen.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Finally, he looked up at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would have wanted to come see,” he said quietly, a pout still spread across his whole face. She reached forward and cupped his cheek, giving him a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. Next time, I’ll tell you,” she promised, but his mood didn’t seem to let up. “It was in between a lot of other people’s stuff, I didn’t think you would want to come watch 30 minutes of it just to wait for mine. You had the host club to worry about. It just didn’t align up right this time.” He still seemed upset, so she reached across and gave him a tiny nudge. “I didn’t want to bore you! You might have fallen asleep from disinterest and then you would have been late to the club.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have been bored!” He argued immediately, his glossy eyes boring into her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you interested in seeing any of the performances prior to knowing that I was involved in them?” She asked him genuinely, cocking an eyebrow. He stared at her for another moment of contemplation before casting his attention off to the side, biting down on the side of his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I was interested,” he mumbled, not too much confidence in his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not too sure if I believe that,” she mused, giving him another tiny nudge against his armor. He glanced down at where her hand had just touched him before turning back to her, giving her another saddened view. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whether or not you believe me, I want to see anything starring </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he pointed out. “That girl said you have two more. Can I come see those?” He asked, his puppy dog eyes coming out in full force. Reina opened her mouth to reluctantly agree, but could hear Haruhi screaming at Kyoya over a pencil. Reina furrowed her eyebrows and they each looked back at the scene unfolding without them. Chizuru began to talk once more about how they were going to take Haruhi to go get the transfer papers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, now, girls. This fair maiden has had a long day. We’ll give her the day to decide about coming to Lobelia with us, and come back tomorrow,” Benio said, then turned to Reina. “Like we promised, we’ll stop by for your performances. Would you be interested in walking with us? It seems as though these lowlives have kept you for far too long, I fear you might be late,” Benio asked, a small smirk on her face. Reina blinked before turning back to Tamaki and grabbed hold of his arm, looking at the watch on his wrist. Her eyes shot open wide and she jumped up in an instant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No time, gotta go, bye,” Reina called out as she rushed out of the room as quick as possible, bounding back towards the auditorium. Everyone in the room stared at the door for a moment before turning back to their own ordeal. The Zuka Club took their leave, and the irate Haruhi turned to the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have some thinking to do,” she said simply, heading out of the room and shutting the door behind her. Every person in the room just stared at the double doors now that the five girls had left. Finally, Tamaki stood and headed towards the group. He looked down at his hand that was still firmly holding onto the pamphlet that Hinako had left behind, flipping through it. Like the girls had said, Reina’s name appeared two more times. Once under the duet section alongside Hiroto’s name, and the other under the solo section. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s doing a solo and didn’t feel the need to tell me? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He glanced up at the group, noticing the eyes fixated on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to come up with a plan to ensure Haruhi does not want to go stay with that horrible club,” Tamaki declared to the group, receiving determined nods back in his direction. Slowly, he glanced back down at the pamphlet in his hand. “But for now, I have to go.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re coming with,” the twins said together, finally pushing their games to the side. Mori and Honey both stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We want to see Rei-Chan sing, too!” Honey beamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mori nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, if she ran out to get there on time, I suppose you all might be stuck in your costumes,” Kyoya pointed out, though he had changed out of the cosplay long before. Tamaki glanced down at himself, a little huff letting out as he nodded, turning towards the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kyoya's right, there's no time to change. Let’s head out, men.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Way to cut it close,” Hiroto said with a nervous little chuckle as Reina appeared at his side, wearing her new dress. “We’re on after this song.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry, we had a really weird run-in,” she vaguely said, putting the mic on and then looked over at Hiroto. “You feeling okay? Any nerves?” She asked, giving him a little smile as he scratched the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little. But we’ve practiced it so much, it should be fine,” he mumbled, looking down at the mask in his hands before finally putting it on. “You have the harder part, anyway. I’m mostly scared for you,” he teased. “Don’t let your voice crack again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It happened once, shut up,” she laughed softly. Hiroto let out his own little chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Emica and I decided we’re going to stick around at least until after your solo,” he informed, wiping his sweaty palms off on his pants, trying to think of anything other than having to get on stage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Emica’s here?” Reina asked, looking at Hiroto as he gave a little nod. “You told her about my solo?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told her about all of our performances today,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows. “Didn’t you tell Tamaki all of them?” He asked. When she didn’t respond, his jaw dropped. “You’re joking. Why wouldn’t you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” she shrugged with a little laugh. “Seemed minimal, he was worried about his own club today. Hey, our turn,” she noted as the two people on the stage hastily headed off. The hired stage hands moved quickly, changing the set in a flash to the somber, dark set that Reina and Hiroto needed. Reina stepped forward, glancing back at Hiroto with a weak smile. “We’re both gonna break a leg!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop saying that,” he pleaded, but let out a meek laugh as he pulled the cuffs of his shirt further down anxiously. Reina smiled and turned back to the dimly lit stage. Once she was signaled the okay, she headed out and began as the music started. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki and the rest of the club slipped in just as the ballad began, though his eyes were fixed on the pamphlet in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if any of this is in order,” Tamaki muttered, not glancing up as Reina’s singing began. The twins peeked over Tamaki’s shoulders, reading the paper in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It looks like it’s in order,” Hikaru whispered, making sure not to disrupt anyone nearby as they found some seats in the back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But how are we supposed to know where we are on the list?” Kaoru pointed out, still in a whisper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the song called? Maybe you guys will hear it and can look up,” Kyoya said, trying to hint to them to use their heads, but the trio didn’t catch the subtle suggestion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Phantom of the Opera, I never saw that one,” Tamaki admitted, letting out a little huff. “Maybe we can ask someone who’s been here for a while,” he thought out loud, glancing around the room but his eyes still not landing on the stage. Finally, Mori glanced over at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look up,” he said before turning his sights back to the stage. The three blinked before turning their gaze up to the stage. Hiroto had just entered, beginning on his part, which Tamaki realized he had no interest in, so he turned his attention to Reina. She had changed out of the princess ball gown that Tamaki had picked out for her and instead was wearing a white, corseted dress. The sleeves had little flares near the wrists, and the majority of the dress was lace. The neckline was squared, but still showed quite a bit of her chest. It looked much like a vintage, Victorian wedding dress, which made Tamaki’s eyes glaze over as he pictured what she might actually look like on their wedding day. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Our wedding day, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he caught himself thinking, but couldn’t find himself correcting himself either. Hiroto held his hand out for Reina, who had been kneeling on the ground, and she very gracefully took it, eyes fixated on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear,” she belted easily as Hiroto guided her up to her feet. “I am the mask you wear,” she sang, very gently reaching out to run her fingers against his mask, but Hiroto snapped his head in the opposite direction, leaving her hand to linger in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s me they hear,” he returned, tugging her to another section of the dark stage, beginning on one of the duetted parts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know Rei-Chan could sing so well! Her voice is so sweet,” Honey doted, turning to Tamaki, whose eyes were widened in the direction of Reina. The twins glanced over at Tamaki, then looked at Honey. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think the boss knew either,” they mused together, but Tamaki didn’t seem to be paying attention to any of them. Once Reina’s cadenza began, all eyes flew back to the stage, widened with surprise as she hit each note so perfectly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sing, my angel of music,” Hiroto called out, hardly heard over Reina’s singing as she easily shifted between notes. “Sing for me!” He yelled even louder, just as she hit the high note at the end, and the lights abruptly cut out, which was her cue to stop. The two rushed backstage in the dark as the crowd erupted into loud cheers and claps. All of the host club joined in rather enthusiastically, except for Tamaki, who sat in his seat in complete shock, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. His fingers fumbled against the pamphlet in his hands as he pulled it up to his face, his nose buried in it, quickly scanning each of the acts in between the one they just watched and the next time her name was written amongst the others. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to wait for six more other acts before we get to her next one,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, glancing towards the backstage area. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why has she never sang for me?” Tamaki finally muttered to himself, furrowing his eyebrows together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you ever ask?” The twins asked, and Tamaki’s eyebrows pushed even further together as his bottom lip pushed out, shaking his head a little bit. “Well, there’s your answer!” They mused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Backstage, Reina and Hiroto were being gushed over by some classmates alongside Mrs. Tanaka. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so proud of you two!” She almost squealed, then reached out and cupped both of Hiroto’s cheeks with her hands. “Good job on stepping outside of your comfort zone, Hiroto, I knew you both would do great!” She said, looking between both Hiroto and Reina. “I’d better not hear either of you asking to have any backstage parts when we get to the musical, I have some special spots for you kids,” she said with a little wink, then dropped her hands from Hiroto’s burning hot face and turned to Reina. “You’d better go get changed, your solo will come up quicker than you realize!” Mrs. Tanaka beamed, rushing away to speak to other bubbling students who were still on an adrenaline high from their own performances, accompanied by a few students nervously awaiting their own turns. Reina finally turned to Hiroto, who was taking another deep breath and she gave him a little nudge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No more nerves, you’re done,” she grinned up at him. “And did amazing, by the way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should be saying that to you,” he responded, then let out a laugh. “Well, the second part. You’re not done yet,” he reminded her, getting a tiny nose scrunch in return. “You’re just lucky all of our parts got put on today. It wouldn’t be fun to have to wait another day to be completely done,” he pointed out, pulling the half-mask off his face and setting it on one of the prop tables, turning back to Reina. “Mrs. Tanaka wasn’t kidding, you need to go change. I’m gonna go find Emica, good luck!” he said excitedly as he gave her a little pat on the arm before rushing off to change out of his costume.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you, it’s ‘break a leg’!” She called after him, shaking her head a bit with a small smile. As soon as he was out of sight, Reina let out a huge breath and let her head fall back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s been a while since I’ve been on stage, that was kinda exhilarating,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, then sighed a bit as she headed off to change into her new costume. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hiroto was right though, I’m glad I don’t have any other scenes tomorrow. Once I finish with this, I’ll be able to give my voice a rest. Christine’s part is pretty straining. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Once her new dress was on, she glanced at herself in the mirror with a little sigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I’ll even go home afterwards. I’m a little tired after all the day’s ordeals.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her eyes widened a bit in another revelation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just kidding. I think I need to go apologize to Tamaki. Hiroto and Emica are still a fairly new couple - or, not a couple, whatever the hell we all are to each other - and he even told her about everything today. Fuck. Why didn’t I just tell him? I probably hurt his feelings,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she realized mournfully, letting out an even deeper sigh. Suddenly, her stomach churned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What if he did come anyway? And watched that? I normally don’t care about performing, but the thought of singing in front of him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> a little chill went down her spine and she groaned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hopefully those Lobelia girls started up something else,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself as she headed back towards the backstage wing, once again cutting it close as she noticed the performers directly before her song began to wrap up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Miss Thompson?” A voice called, and she whipped around to see a man dressed like a prince. He was one of the ‘extra’ volunteers, and was ready to assist her in his silent role. “We have to get on the stairs before they push them out,” he reminded with a gentle smile. Reina gave a little nod and headed with the man over towards the grand, moving staircase. </span>
  <em>
    <span>One thing about these rich schools, is they never cheap out. For a three minute song, they outsourced this for me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself as she climbed up the stairs, avoiding the goo stuck to the steps on one side. There was a little balcony on the backside of it for hiding, so the man stepped down onto it and gave Reina a little nod. “Good luck,” he smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Break a leg,” she corrected with a little wink, but let out a little breath and held onto the railing as she heard the applause from the last set. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Here we go.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the audience, Tamaki was sitting on the edge of his seat, lightly clapping as the stage hands cleared the stage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s next,” Tamaki informed the group, getting another eye roll from each of the twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We know, boss,” Hikaru groaned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve given us the countdown each time,” Kaoru reminded, and Tamaki simply glanced back at them, but didn’t say anything. He watched as the stage hands moved the staircase out, though the lights were too dim for him to see Reina. After a moment, the sound of trumpets blared through the auditorium as the lights turned on to reveal Reina. She was wearing a long, elegant, golden dress with off the shoulder straps, and the back of her hair was pinned up, which was unusual for Tamaki to see on her - though he liked it a lot. Reina grabbed onto the railing of the staircase with one hand and used the other to hold up the front of her dress as she began to rush down the steps. In the middle of the staircase, she stepped in the goo and got stuck, her shoes cementing their way in. The man appeared from the hiding spot and rushed to the top of the staircase in pursuit, but as soon as Reina glanced around to look at him, the stage lights dimmed and a hint of blue filled the stage, making the prince freeze in time. Reina looked down at her stuck shoes and let out a little huff, glancing one more time at the prince behind her before looking out at the audience. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s a very smart prince, he’s a prince who prepares. Knowing this time I’d run from him, he spread pitch on the stairs, and I’m caught unawares,” she sang, as if retelling the story to them as she glanced down at her shoes once more, trying to pull them from the stickiness but to no avail. She looked back up at the audience. “And I thought, well - he cares,” she spoke the last part with furrowed eyebrows, which got quite a few laughs, as intended. “This is more than just malice, better stop and take stock while you’re standing here stuck on the steps of the palace,” she continued, stepping out of the shoes and off to the side of the mess on the stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we should invest in some pitch for you, Tamaki,” Kyoya noted, immediately noticing some correlations between the song and their situation. Tamaki, however, was sitting forward, his elbows digging deep into the armor on his knees and he was resting his chin on his balled up fists, tears in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s so cute,” he almost mumbled, completely fixated on the stage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“</span><span>But then what if he knew who you were, when you know that you're not what he thinks that he wants?” Reina sang, eyebrows furrowing again before she relaxed and glanced back at the prince. “And then what if you are?” She glanced at the audience. “What a prince would invision,” she sang with a little hand motion, as if she was clarifying what she meant to them, getting yet another little bit of laughter as she had hoped. Kaoru furrowed his eyebrows a bit at the revelation that had just hit him. </span><em><span>Is she singing about her feelings? </span></em><span>He glanced over at Tamaki, trying to decipher whether or not he was connecting the same dots. Tamaki was much too invested in his current doting over Reina to think about any of the current lyrics, though it seemed some other host club attendees were also making the same assumption that Kaoru had been.</span> <span>Reina furrowed her own eyebrows and began to pace on the stair she was on. “Although how can you know who you are till you know what you want, which you don't. So then which do you pick?” She asked, frustration clear in her voice, sitting down on the current step she was on and leaning back on her hands. “While you're safe out of sight, and yourself, but where everything's wrong,” she belted, a new somber tone in her voice. She glanced back at the prince, who was still perfectly frozen once more. “Or where everything's right, and you know that you'll never belong?” She kept the sadness in her voice, but then looked down at her hand that she had purposefully placed in the pitch and grimaced, pulling it out of it quickly. “And whichever you pick, do it quick, cause you're starting to stick to the steps of the palace!” She belted once more, dramatically wiping her palm off on another one of the steps, receiving more laughter as she jumped up again, still grimacing down at her hand and shaking it a bit more for extra flair. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is eerily familiar,” Kaoru muttered, grabbing the pamphlet out of Tamaki’s hand and looking at it. “This is a real song? She didn’t write it or something?” He mused, though he was being serious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Stephen Sondheim,” Mori answered, and almost everyone glanced over at him, completely shocked that he knew anything about musical theatre, but kept all comments to themselves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Better run along home! And avoid the collision. Even though they don't care, you'll be better off there, where there's nothing to choose, so there's nothing to lose,” she sang sadly, moving back to the stuck shoes and crouching over to pull them out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where they don’t care,” Tamaki recited quietly, the entire group turning to look at him for a moment before turning back to the stage silently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing to lose,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, frowning softly. “Hey, doesn’t this song remind you of Reina and I’s current situation?” Tamaki whispered to the group, making it clear he hadn’t been listening to what anyone had been saying, making them all roll their eyes without another word.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you pry up your shoes,” she belted, pulling one up successfully before her eyes went wide and she stood back up. “Then from out of the blue, and without any guide, you know what your decision is. Which is not to decide,” she sang with a little grin, holding the singular shoe tightly in her hand and nodding in determination. “You’ll just leave him a clue,” she sang, beginning to shake the shoe a little in thought, turning to search around for anything she could leave behind before finally stopping and glancing down at her hand. “For example, a shoe,” she said flatly, as if it were obvious, a little head shake for not realizing it sooner, getting yet another audience laugh. “And then see what he'll do. Now it's he and not you who is stuck with the shoe, in a stew, in the goo,” she sang, moving back up to the top of the pitch and putting the single shoe back on her foot. “And you've learned something too, something you never knew, on the steps of the palace!” She belted one last time, glancing back at the prince which made the lights turn back to normal and unfreeze the man. Reina darted down the steps, this time avoiding the pitch and safely making it backstage as the prince made his way down the steps, stopping in his tracks and with a little smirk, pulled the lone shoe out of the pitch. The lights cut off and once again, Reina was met with an uproar of applause and cheers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe that explains why she didn’t inform the boss,” Kaoru said softly to himself, just as Tamaki stood and began to shout in his applause, trying to make himself heard from the back of the auditorium. Though, one other group was louder than he was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bravo, my dear!” A loud, familiar voice rang. The host club’s eyes all darted up towards the front of the auditorium, watching as Benio, Chizuru, and Hinako made extra loud cheers, tossing singular flowers on the stage. Their loud declarations made the fans of the Zuka Club immediately follow suit in an attempt to appease their beloved White Lily League. It was no coincidence that the majority of the stage was now covered in white lilies. Tamaki looked around at his friends, a little sense of determination in his face as he continued to clap and yell out. They knew what he was asking of them, and though they were reluctant, they all jumped up and joined him in a very competitive version of a last clap contest. After a few more uncomfortable moments, the Zuka Club finally ceased their noise, which made Tamaki bask in his small victory for the day. He turned to the group, a new grin on his face.</span>
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  <span>“I’m going to go find her. In the meantime though, go get dinner for yourselves. I think I figured out the Haruhi situation, and we’re going to have a late night! Meet me in the music room in an hour,” Tamaki declared, receiving a nod from all of the men, the search beginning. </span>
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<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Actress Turned Director (48)</h2></a>
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  <em>A/N: Hello all! My posting schedule has been Wed/Fri/Sun for a while, but I think this week I'll be skipping the Friday chapter. I like to stay a good 15 chapters ahead of the ones I'm posting and I've slipped down to only being 10-11 chaps ahead, so I'm going to take the extra day to not have to worry about final edits and such. :) The next week should go back to normal given I'm able to catch up well enough, but I'll let you know when I post chapter 50 on Sunday! I hope everyone is still enjoying, thanks for sticking around!</em>
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  <span class="u"> Chapter Forty Eight </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Tamaki watched as all the men headed out of the auditorium before giving a determined nod to himself. He happened to glance up and see Hiroto and Emica also standing up and automatically assumed that they were going to go see Reina. He bounded over, giving them each a little grin, trying his best to be mindful of the other audience members. Hiroto furrowed his eyebrows at the armor Tamaki was wearing, but made no comment as he remembered Reina needing to change to help out the host club and rightfully assumed that there was a correlation there. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you think you could show me how to get backstage?” Tamaki beamed, trying to be both quiet and equally charming, just as the next act was beginning and the standing trio were getting some uncomfortable glances. Emica looked up at Hiroto for an answer, and he finally gave a little nod. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, we’re headed there too,” he informed, escorting the two over to a hidden away door on the side of some of the auditorium chairs, quietly propping it open and ushering them inside. It led them into a narrow hallway, one that Tamaki had never walked through before. Hiroto was the first to begin to walk down, glancing back to make sure the door to the auditorium closed all the way first. “I’m surprised you’re here, Reina made it seem like she didn’t tell you about being involved in anything,” Hiroto noted, looking over at Tamaki. He gave a little nod in return, some of that prior hurt flooding back into his system, but he tried hard not to show it to Hiroto. Despite the new situation between him and Emica, Tamaki couldn’t help but view him as some sort of competition. <em> I can’t let him think that there are any issues between Reina and I, </em> Tamaki decided to himself, taking on a much more confident stride as they continued their seemingly long walk. </p><p> </p><p>“She didn’t, but someone complimented her on your first performance, so I had to make sure I would be here for the others,” Tamaki informed with a grin, to which Emica furrowed her eyebrows. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m surprised she didn’t tell you, she did really good!” Emica said, then glanced over at Hiroto with a mild blush. “You both did really good,” she added posthaste, not wanting to leave him out of the praise. Hiroto once again gave her singular, brisk nod in thanks, though his cheeks didn’t turn nearly as pink as the first time Emica had told him that. “Oh, hey, we still need to go on that double date!” Emica mentioned with a wide beam spread across her face, making both the boys exchange glances with one another, just as they met the end of the hallway. Without words, each of them could tell that the other held the same apprehension as them, though it seemed that they both knew it would likely be an act that neither of them would be able to get themselves out of. </p><p> </p><p>“Reina and I can figure something out in class one day. Now that this is over, our theatre class is free again, at least until tech rehearsals for the play start up soon,” Hiroto smiled down at Emica warmly, only widening her already large and excited grin. He pulled open the door at the end of the hallway and stood in front of it, turning to the other two members of the group in preparation to review the rules. “You just have to be quiet back here, it’s super easy to be heard from the audience because of the way it amplifies. You’re not technically supposed to be back here, but nobody will notice you’re not a part of theatre since there are so many strangers here today - just avoid Mrs. Tanaka, just in case. It especially helps if you’re already wearing a costume,” Hiroto mused, looking over at Tamaki who let out an uncomfortably nervous chuckle, immediately looking down at his attire and internally damning himself for not changing before the Zuka Club debacle. Emica was the first to dart in through the door, immediately going on a search for Reina. Tamaki gave Hiroto a little nod in thanks before stepping in, Hiroto soon following after and letting the door shut behind him. Emica found Reina talking to Mrs. Tanaka so she skidded to a stop, trying to play it cool. Tamaki and Hiroto soon caught up and Tamaki also stopped, but Hiroto continued in plans to redirect Mrs. Tanaka’s attention. As he stepped into the conversation, he heard some of the same compliments she had given the pair earlier in the day. </p><p> </p><p>“Just so marvelous. It was beautiful sounding <em> and </em> it was funny. That’s a hard thing to achieve, missy!” Mrs. Tanaka beamed. “I knew I could count on you to take on a solo. As soon as I made you sample your voice to me, I knew I had made the right decision in entrusting you!” She continued, before noticing Hiroto and giving Reina another quick grin. “Okay, I’ll leave you be. I have more people I need to attend to. Like I said though, I’d better not see you trying to sit the musical out,” she warned with an intense finger wave right in front of Reina’s face, before grinning once more and bouncing off to another set of students. Reina looked up at Hiroto who grinned down at her. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, good job!” He beamed, to which she returned the smile tenfold, actually overplaying it drastically just for amusement. “Don’t ever make that face again,” he laughed, rolling his eyes as she shut her eyes in an even wider grin. “I brought guests,” he announced, turning to the excited pair behind them. Emica was the first to rush up, spinning Reina around in a hug. Even in the spins, the pair of boys could see Reina’s bright red face, since she had clearly been unaware of the others around while making her dumb facial expression.</p><p> </p><p>“You were great,” she whispered, taking Hiroto’s warning much more seriously than everyone else was and attempted to be as quiet as she could be. Reina let out a little laugh, pulling out of the hug and giving Emica a quick smile, her face still traced with soft hues of pink from embarrassment. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, thanks,” she said with a little nod, then glanced up to Tamaki as he approached her. Emica and Hiroto stepped out of the way, silently deciding together to take their leave to allow both couples their individual time together. Reina’s face remained the muted pink color as the two of them stared at one another, just for a short moment, before she was the first to crack a smile. Taking her lead, Tamaki was unable to keep the grin off of his face as he pulled her by the waist, mimicking Emica’s prior actions and pulling her into yet another spinning hug. </p><p> </p><p>“Your voice is so beautiful, my angel of music<em> , </em>” he grinned, giving her another quick spin, which made her let out a giggle and throw her arms around his neck, gripping onto him even tighter for stability. When he set her back down, she leaned up and gave him a soft peck on the lips despite her typical protests of too much PDA in highly populated areas, not paying any attention to who was around. “I’m glad I got to see it.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you in the first place,” she smiled sheepishly, her arms remaining around his neck. “I think I was just nervous and wasn’t thinking about it,” she rationalized. All of his minimally leftover frustration seemed to dissipate at her words and he leaned down, giving her one more kiss before flashing another grin down in her direction. </p><p> </p><p>“I was blessed with your glorious singing, that’s all that matters,” he responded genuinely. Reina’s face turned to a bright red as she glanced down, a small little smile on her lips. Though, as he thought it over longer, his face scrunched up. “Why haven’t you sang for me before?” </p><p> </p><p>“Because it’s weird to just start randomly singing for someone,” she pointed out with a shrug, but his scrunched face turned into a pout. </p><p> </p><p>“But I offered to play piano for you, and that wasn’t weird!” He retorted, his face not moving from it’s pout, even when Reina let out a little laugh. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean you’re right, but it’s also different,” she softly said as her hands behind his head started to play with his hair. </p><p> </p><p>“And you sang a duet with Hiroto, how come I’ve never sang with you?” He asked, pushing his bottom lip out even further. Reina leaned up to give him yet another peck on the lips, despite how out of character it normally was for her to even think about kissing him in front of the large crowd of students and strangers surrounding them. </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe you should join theatre for the musical next semester, then. It’s an exclusive party. You know, the people who are graced that particular opportunity,” she teased, which finally made his pout disappear. <em> Maybe I will, then.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Fine, my princess, I can settle with just having heard your absolutely captivating voice for now,” he beamed, which made Reina’s cheeks turn pink once more. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, thank you,” she said quietly then took a step back from him, letting her arms go back to her side. “I still need to change,” she mentioned, then glanced at his attire and cocked an eyebrow. “We both do, it seems. Do you have your clothes with you?” She asked and he shook his head a bit. “I can meet you in the host room, or wherever, once we’re both changed,” she offered with a small smile, taking another step back towards the dressing rooms in preparation to depart, but he shook his head again. </p><p> </p><p>“We can go do both together, as long as that’s okay,” he suggested, reaching out to grab her hand. She thought about it for a moment before giving a warm smile and a nod, squeezing his hand for a moment before tugging him towards the door that led to the dressing rooms, dodging the plethora of students in the way. Before she could make it out of the door, a hand reached out and grabbed hold of her free wrist, making her gasp and jump back into Tamaki, eyes widened. </p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t mean to scare you!” The guy said quickly, taking a little step back as Reina composed herself, still biting her lip to keep her from yelling, knowing full well that she would have been heard by the audience if she were to have screamed. The guy had greasy, light brown hair and wore squared glasses. Reina immediately noted that he looked like the type of guy who might start a pyramid scheme, or sell you a lemon of a car off the lot for much more than it was worth - just overall, slimy looking. However, she tried to shake away her premature judgments.  “I was just wondering if I could get a picture of you two for the school newspaper,” the guy asked, holding up a camera. Reina glanced back at Tamaki, who’s free hand had planted itself on her waist when she had moved to him, and he furrowed his eyebrows a bit back at her. “For the cultural festival,” the guy elaborated, giving a nervous little laugh. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Reina finally said with a forced little grin, much to the man’s delight. He motioned them out to the hallway that they were headed to in the first place and Reina sent Tamaki another little glance before walking ahead of him. His hand remained on her waist, following closely behind her. As soon as they exited the backstage area, the man snapped a picture of them completely off guard, making both their heads snap in his direction. </p><p> </p><p>“Just a test, I want to make sure the light here is good,” he assured with a little smile, swiftly checking the last photo he had taken and he seemed to think about it before nodding, a slight disappointment on his face at the sight of the blurry picture. “It looks fine. You guys can pose,” he said loosely, looking back up at them, trying to hold back the little grimace he wanted to shoot in Tamaki’s direction. Reina once again glanced up at Tamaki, completely confused about the situation. <em> There were a ton of photographers near the front of the stage, and others wandering the halls. I think I saw one come into the host club today. Backstage just seems like an odd place. And come to think of it, none of those photographers were in school uniforms, they seemed outsourced. </em> Tamaki didn’t seem to notice the aggression in the guy’s voice, nor did he notice Reina’s apprehension as he moved to her side, giving her a big grin. Reina swiftly pulled her hair out of the pins it was in after she realized it was still up, then moved closer into Tamaki as they each smiled. The guy couldn’t seem any less interested as he snapped the picture, then gave them a little nod. “Thanks!” He was able to fake, accompanied with a forced smile. Reina furrowed her eyebrows again but returned with a small smile as well. </p><p> </p><p>“When should that issue come out?” She asked curiously, which made his eyes widen in a bit of surprise. </p><p> </p><p>“Uh,” he responded, blinking a few times. “In about a week,” he finally answered, giving a little nod. Reina nodded back then glanced up at Tamaki, who was grinning. </p><p> </p><p>“We’ll have to pick up a copy so I can have access to that picture!” Tamaki declared, sending a little wink down to Reina. She smiled softly and gave the guy in front of them one last nod before tugging Tamaki over towards the dressing rooms once more. “Can I be in here?” He asked as he looked down at her, forgetting all about the weird encounter. Reina looked up at him, giving a little smile as they walked, their hands finding each other once more. Neither of them noticed when the flash of a camera went off behind them once more. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, the dressing rooms are unisex,” she explained as she pulled him into the front area of the dressing rooms which were lined with lockers. He grimaced a bit. </p><p> </p><p>“Unisex? So you have to change in front of other guys?” He asked, eyes widening a bit with each word. She glanced up at him as she approached one of the lockers and swiped her student ID to unlock it, an almost concealed smirk lingering on her lips. </p><p> </p><p>“Tamaki Suoh, have you gotten jealous three times today over things you don’t need to worry about?” She teased, flashing his mind back to both the guys surrounding her in the host club as well as Chizuru’s actions towards her, his face turning to red for a moment. She grabbed her items from the locker and closed it before motioning him further into the dressing room, revealing the rows of personal changing stalls, giving him a little grin as he seemed to visually release the tension in his shoulders. “Don’t worry so much, your poor heart doesn’t need to go through so much unnecessary aching,” she mused as she pulled him over to her designated stall, pulling the door open and ushering him in almost mockingly. </p><p> </p><p>“My heart only aches for you, my angel of music,” he called back as he strode into the tiny room. Reina let out a tiny giggle as she followed him in. The ballgown dress she had worn for the host club was hanging up alongside the white one from her duet. Tamaki’s eyes were glued over at them as Reina began to check her phone that had been stuck in the locker for a while now. “You’ve looked breathtaking in each dress you’ve worn today, but I think the showstopper was this one,” he announced, his fingers grazing the fabric of the one that looked like a vintage wedding dress. Reina let out a tiny laugh, setting her phone down on the bench in the room and she held up the stack of clothes in her hands. </p><p> </p><p>“The amount of times I’ve changed today is ridiculous, I decided this morning I would not be worrying about my uniform,” she pointed out, setting the little stack on the bench as well. “It’s still a dress, I didn’t want to stick out too much in jeans or anything, but less constricting. That one was the worst of all in that department,” she said, nodding to the white corseted dress. “But my waist looked small in it, so it was worth it. Especially if it was your favorite,” she told him with a little wink. He couldn’t help but beam as he turned to face her. “Will you unzip me?” She asked softly as she turned away from him. He thought about it for a moment before grabbing her phone off the bench and gently turned her towards the large mirror on the side of the room, pulling up her camera. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure that photo he took will make the cut, but in case it doesn’t,” he explained, grabbing hold of her waist and tugging her close to him. Reina smiled softly, rolling her eyes slightly but didn’t complain as she posed a bit, grinning into the mirror as he snapped the picture, then once he was finished, he set the phone back onto the bench. “Will you send that to me?” </p><p> </p><p>“You can send it to yourself once you unzip my dress, if you want. I don’t have any dark secrets on my phone or anything,” she said, turning around once more. He smiled again and stepped forward, pulling the zipper down as she pulled the sleeves off, letting it hit the ground. She picked it up quickly and moved over to hang it up. Tamaki glanced down at her side. Like Reina had assured him, the scratches healed up easily, and there were remotely no signs of them left which made Tamaki smile even more. He sat down on the bench, though it took a moment with the heavy armor, and started to send the photo to himself. “Did you borrow that outfit from the theatre department again?” She asked, and he gave a little nod as she grabbed her dress from the side of him. “If what you’re wearing underneath will be fine without it, you can just leave the armor in here. We were just instructed to leave everything in here and it’ll all be brought back to the costume loft,” she smiled before pulling the dress over her head. “It’ll save you the trouble of carrying it back over later.”</p><p> </p><p>“I may do that, thank you,” he nodded, glancing back down at her phone. Once he sent the photo to himself, he accidentally clicked out of the message thread with him and his eyes landed on the one right under his own, his eyebrows furrowing. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Chloe: t'es vraiment un gamin &gt;:( </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Are you arguing with someone?” He asked immediately, glancing up at Reina as she started to pull her tights on. She furrowed her eyebrows a bit. “Who’s calling you bratty?” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” she said with a little laugh, her facial expression relaxing. “Chloe. She was one of my host sisters in France. She started texting me today asking me a bunch of questions right when I got to school, so I told her - jokingly, might I add - to just read my memoir in a few years.” Tamaki glanced down, only just realizing the text had been in French. “I told her afterwards to just call me later since I was a little preoccupied, but I’m still a brat, I guess,” she said with a little shrug and another laugh, pulling her shoes on quickly. Tamaki set the phone down and began to pull his own armor off. </p><p> </p><p>“What kind of questions was she asking?” He asked, setting each piece down on the ground as he pulled them off. Reina grabbed her phone and went to the text thread. </p><p> </p><p>“Let’s see. She asked whether or not I still ditch school - I said sometimes, which is true. She asked how many rooms the Higurashi’s had, I think because she’s always been interested in the huge houses I’ve been in - I said I didn’t know, which is still true. She asked what I normally do on the weekends, and I said it depended - which, again, is true. Like weird, trivial stuff. But she was getting frustrated with my answers. I think she might have just been trying to strike up a conversation but I had just gotten here and it was like midnight over there, so I’ll probably get a call later tonight,” she said, pushing the door open once Tamaki had pulled off all of his pieces. “What’s the plan after you change? I think I was going to go home,” she said, and his face scrunched up in realization. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, about that,” he said, trailing off slightly as he grabbed her hand and began to lead her out. “I was hoping you might be able to help me out with something,” he asked sheepishly, glancing down at her. She cocked an eyebrow up at him. “Haruhi was really mad at us when she left, so we’re planning to try and come up with something to make sure she doesn’t leave to Lobelia Academy. After I heard your angelic voice, the plan came to mind!” He said as they exited the changing rooms. She gave him a little smile, each of them once again failing to notice the fleet flash of a camera go off in their direction as Tamaki led her towards the music room. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure how much I can really help, but I can definitely try.” </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell is wrong with you guys?” Tamaki hissed, stopping the twins in their tracks before they could enter the room, each holding a bouquet of flowers. “Honey and Mori already brought her some, and now I look like the worst boyfriend imaginable for not getting her anything,” he explained, arms crossed and his face flaming red. The twins each peeked around Tamaki to look at Reina, who was holding two large bouquets, strangely in a conversation with Mori about musical theatre. </p><p> </p><p>“‘<em> Boyfriend </em>’,” Kaoru repeated mockingly, which made Tamaki burn even brighter, but he didn’t change the phrasing at all when given the pause to do so. “It’s not our fault you didn’t think about it and the rest of us did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, just because you’re lousy doesn’t mean all of us are,” Hikaru retaliated as they each tried to move around Tamaki, but he pushed both of them back together, sending them each a glare. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been preoccupied here coming up with the plan to keep Haruhi in the host club and at Ouran, I didn’t have time to run anywhere and get her flowers,” he quickly defended, getting a little shrug from each twin, clearly unphased by his sob story. His tune changed instantaneously from irritation to soft, his puppy dog eyes swiftly commencing. “Just give me one of yours,” he pleaded, getting two head shakes in response.</p><p> </p><p>“No way, boss,” they said together, making Tamaki let out a frustrated groan, though he was clearly trying to be quiet so as to not draw any more attention towards the trio looming in the music room 3’s doorway. Kyoya wandered up, a bundle of flowers in each hand, which made Tamaki’s eyes almost shoot out of his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you kidding me?” He asked, practically melting into the ground at the sight of it. “I didn’t get her anything, and Kyoya got <em> two </em> bouquets?” He complained, shaking his head as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll be back, give me ten minutes.” </p><p> </p><p>“You big dope,” Kyoya sighed, extending his arm to hand one of the dozens of roses to Tamaki. “I got one for you. I figured you didn’t have the time to leave the school,” he explained coolly. Tamaki’s eyes glistened as he gave a quick thanks, then rushed in to give them to Reina. </p><p> </p><p>“He’s an idiot,” the three boys outside said before strolling inside to see Tamaki present the flowers to her. </p><p> </p><p>“For you, my angel of music!” Tamaki grinned, receiving a big grin from Reina. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s sweet, you didn’t have to do that,” she reiterated, turning to Mori and Honey again and giving them more nods as she took the third bouquet into her arms, already beginning to struggle with those, smiling up at Tamaki again. “Thank you, baby,” she beamed, just as the other three made their way to her. </p><p> </p><p>“You did an excellent job today, those Lobelia girls weren’t exaggerating, you are talented,” Kyoya said, handing her the fourth bundle, making Reina’s eyes widen slightly. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Kyoya,” she said quietly, clearly a little shocked from their generosity. She didn’t even have enough time to think before Kyoya moved out of the way to allow the twins their time with Reina. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re mad that you didn’t tell us about it,” Hikaru mentioned, basically dropping the flowers in his hand on top of her large stack. “You did really good.” </p><p> </p><p>“We didn’t even know the first one was you at first, we thought it was some professional singer,” Kaoru exaggerated a bit, also dropping his set on top of her arms, which she had to use her chin to hold up. Reina blinked, glancing around at the group as her eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip pushing out a bit involuntarily. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you guys,” she said, blinking away some of the tears that she was unable to wipe away with her full hands. Without request, Mori walked over and scooped all of the belongings out of her arms, giving her a little nod as he went to go set them down elsewhere. Reina ruffled each of the twin’s hair as Kyoya turned to Tamaki. “Thanks, little brothers,” she teased, getting a playful grimace back from each of them. </p><p> </p><p>“So, what is this plan of yours then?” Kyoya asked, diverting Tamaki’s attention from the twins who had engulfed Reina in a brotherly type bear hug as revenge. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s such a good idea, if I do say so myself,” Tamaki gloated, which made both twins look down at Reina, who was trying vigorously to pull out of their arms. At their gaze, she stopped struggling, now just leaving her trapped between the four arms. </p><p> </p><p>“Is it actually?” They asked her together. Reina didn’t respond immediately, which made them each sigh and cast a glance at one another. “Great.” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that it’s bad, I just don’t know how everyone is going to react to it,” Reina defended, looking over at Tamaki who was still beaming at his own genius mind. “It’s… innovative.” </p><p> </p><p>“And you’re involved how?” The twins asked Reina, but before she could respond, Tamaki jumped in to announce the plan that he had been so proud of. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re putting on a musical act!” He declared, getting a few blinks in return. “Just like the Zuka Club! I already wrote the lyrics while you all were gone, it’s short,” he added, looking to Reina who raised her eyebrows, pressing him to continue. “And, I want all of us to dress like women. I want Haruhi to be able to feel like she doesn’t need to go to an all girl’s school in order to have sisterly relationships,” he explained, looking around at the group, deciding to just ignore the twin’s arms still wrapped around Reina after their conversation about the amount of times he had gotten jealous over the day. There was a brief moment of silence before partially stifled snickers came from the twins. </p><p> </p><p>“I think it’s a great idea!” Honey reassured, looking over at Tamaki who remained positive despite the twin’s reactions. </p><p> </p><p>“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but Haruhi didn’t seem too enthralled with the musical act that the Zuka Club put on, correct?” Kyoya asked, pushing his glasses up. “Why would that be the answer to our problem?” </p><p> </p><p>“It makes sense,” Reina spoke up, receiving an even larger grin from Tamaki. “We might have thought it was ridiculous, but we don’t <em> really </em> know what Haruhi was thinking. If she did like it, it’s kind of like - anything they can do, you can do better,” she explained. </p><p> </p><p>“Annie Get Your Gun,” Mori mumbled quietly as he remembered which musical that was from, mostly to himself, but got a little smile from Reina. </p><p> </p><p>“And the dressing like girls part, that makes sense in your mind too?” Hikaru asked, cocking an eyebrow down at her. Reina looked over at Tamaki, who was radiating pride, before glancing up at Hikaru. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean,” she mumbled, scrunching up her nose. “Worst case scenario, she knows you guys are willing to do almost anything for her. Even if it’s just to amuse her,” she rationalized, trying to come up with something on the spot. It took a little moment before she finally received nods from each of the host club members, barring Tamaki, who was just beaming over at her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, finally pulling her from Hikaru and Kaoru’s grasp and tugged her into his own arms, spinning her around a few times. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m so glad you think my idea is good!” Tamaki called out excitedly before setting her down, giving her a quick grin. “So where do we start?” </p><p> </p><p>“So she’s not helping, she’s just doing everything,” the twins said together, eyes narrowed on Tamaki as they each rested the opposite hand on their own hips, though the couple decided to just ignore the twins. </p><p> </p><p>“Mrs. Tanaka is busy today, but I’m sure she won’t mind if we borrow some dresses, the costume loft is sure to be open - it’s free use for any of the schools here today, so she wouldn’t even know anything was gone so long as it gets dropped off again tomorrow,” Reina noted, moving over to grab her laptop which was kindly brought to her by one of the Higurashi drivers. “I think it would be easiest if I started with one of the twins. While you guys are going to the costume loft, one of them can pick out the dresses and I can work with the other one,” she explained, getting nothing but understanding nods sent in her direction. “I’m going to highly recommend not changing in the actual costume loft, because like I said, it’s open use today,” she said, then looked over to Tamaki with a smile. “Will you show everyone to the dressing room once you all have found something? You can use my stall. As long as nobody is shy, I know two people can fit in there,” she mentioned casually. Though Tamaki’s cheeks flamed to a soft pink at the mention of two fitting in the same room, he gave an enthusiastic nod. </p><p> </p><p>“Hikaru, why don’t you go find our outfits? I really don’t want to have to undress again today,” Kaoru admitted, getting a little nod from his twin. <em> Somehow, I knew that was going to happen, </em> Reina thought to herself, but didn’t quite mind the idea of conversing with Kaoru again, since it was fairly therapeutic - and she would get some information of her own, too. The host club all gave collective nods to Reina as Tamaki began to lead them all towards the costume loft, excited for the new venture. Reina moved herself over to a table, leaving the spot open in front of her for Kaoru who moved over to it and silently sat. “Hey, what made you think of the song you performed today?” Kaoru asked, and Reina made a little grimace as she turned on her laptop. </p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t the best, was it? Mrs. Tanaka wanted us to step out of our comfort zones,” she explained, making Kaoru furrow his eyebrows. “I had a few other ideas for the duet, we even started to practice a few of them but she insisted we do the Phantom piece. I tried to explain that opera singing wasn’t my forte, but it kinda fell on deaf ears,” she laughed, and he shook his head a little. </p><p> </p><p>“No, the other one,” he clarified. Reina peeked up at him, a little frown forming on her lips as she tried to think over anything she might have done wrong during her solo. </p><p> </p><p>“I thought that one was good,” she finally retorted after deciding that she was in fact proud of that piece, making Kaoru’s hands shoot up in defense. </p><p> </p><p>“They both were good!” He reassured, still shaking his head. “I’m just wondering what made you pick that particular song,” he said, then frowned when she seemed to still hold some confusion. “You don’t have any reasons for picking that exact song? None at all?” <em> Is she that dense, or does she just think I am? </em></p><p> </p><p>“I mean, I thought it was cute,” she tried, though he didn’t seem impressed with her answer. “I thought it was within my comfortable vocal range, and Cinderella is a recognizable character, so nobody would be confused with the story, as opposed to if I had pulled something out of another musical that maybe would have needed more context to understand,” she continued, furrowing her eyebrows when he still sat with somewhat of a stunned expression. “Why, what are you thinking?” She asked dully. Kaoru sat back in his seat for a moment, trying to decipher whether or not he believed her response. After finalizing his thoughts, he sat forward once more, resting his chin in the palm of his hand with a little sigh. <em> Maybe she really is that dense. </em> </p><p> </p><p>“Hopeless,” he repeated, getting a little giggle out of Reina as she thought back to the night at the beach house with Tamaki and their conversation surrounding the word. “You don’t think there are any correlations between your current love life situation and the song you chose? Because we all noticed.” Reina’s eyes widened for a moment before glancing back down at her laptop, going to the software program that she needed to use to take on their current endeavor. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean, maybe a bit. But that’s not why I picked it, at least not at first, I don’t think,” she told him, though he didn’t seem too convinced. “It really isn’t. But, I have to be honest, I did start to notice the similarities after going over it a few times. The first few times I was just trying to get the translation down correctly, I wasn’t really thinking about the lyrics. I knew the song in English, so it really took about four times for me to worry less about the actual words and more about - you know, the meaning of the words. I did feel drawn to this song from the start, so maybe it was subconscious,” she explained, finally getting a nod from Kaoru as he took that as the genuine answer. “Maybe that was part of the reason I didn’t invite him in the first place. I just didn’t think it was important, and I knew he was stressing about the club, but the other part might have been more  subconscious thoughts. I also got nervous thinking about him sitting in the audience listening,” she admitted, taking her gaze away from the screen and back up at him. He sent her an understanding smile, but it was short lived.  </p><p> </p><p>“I think you hurt his feelings,” Kaoru confided. “He would have come in an instant. He would have shut down the club for the day to come see.” </p><p> </p><p>“I know, I apologized, I did feel bad,” she nodded, biting the inside of her cheek a bit as she looked back down at the laptop in front of her. “Okay, time to sing. What’s the highest you could comfortably sing at? Since you’re supposed to be a girl tomorrow,” she mused, though he was disinterested in the task at hand. </p><p> </p><p>“He called himself your boyfriend today,” he blurted out, sitting back in the chair as Reina glanced up at him, though she quickly turned her attention back to her computer screen as she tried to avoid his words. “So, is he?” </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” she said simply, still fixated on the screen before glancing up at him once more. “It feels stupid to keep saying no. I mean, essentially yes. We only talk to each other, I spend, like, every weekend at his house. But also, no,” she said with a little shrug as she clicked a few keys. “What’s it matter, though? We both seem content with whatever we are,” Reina pointed out, only getting a little shrug in return from Kaoru. </p><p> </p><p>“Just curious, I guess. I think maybe you’re downplaying the idea that you’re both happy being titleless,” he pointed out, looking down at her computer as she seemed to be maneuvering a few more things. Reina waited for him to continue, but he didn’t, so she glanced up at him. </p><p> </p><p>“Any elaboration in that?” She asked, giving an uncomfortable giggle, but he shook his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Not really. I think the boss would love to call you his, officially, without worrying about what you might think about his declaration,” he responded, somewhat mockingly. </p><p> </p><p>“I think you’re supposed to be singing right about now,” she mused, and he rolled his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, in a minute. They’re going to take forever anyway, we both know that,” Kaoru pointed out, getting another laugh out of Reina and she nodded, pushing her laptop to the side for the moment. “If he asked, would you say yes?” He asked. She crossed her arms on the table, her mouth shifting over to one side as she thought about it for a moment, staring over at the door that Tamaki had just left out of. </p><p> </p><p>“Probably,” she said, then let out a little sigh. “But then what if he knew who you were, when you know that you're not what he thinks that he wants?” She repeated from her solo earlier, a little smirk going to her lips, thinking that she was being at least somewhat funny. </p><p> </p><p>“You are,” he said simply, clearly not finding any amusement in it. Her smirk left and another little sigh came, her eyes still devoted towards the door. </p><p> </p><p>“Probably. But, still, I don’t know. I’m happy with what we have. I don’t want to tie him down any further than I already have, and I don’t want for anything to happen and for it to ruin what we currently are. Is that a good enough answer?” She mused, resting her chin on one of her open palms, cupping her own face. Kaoru thought for a moment before nodding, a little smile on his lips. “Good. Your turn.” </p><p> </p><p>“Okay. I don’t really sing, so this should be fun,” he mumbled, but she gave a little smirk. </p><p> </p><p>“No, not yet,” she said, leaning forward in her chair a bit as Kaoru cocked an eyebrow at her. “Your turn for questions. How did it go with Hikaru and Haruhi on that night?” </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t kiss and tell for myself, much less for my brother,” Kaoru said, giving a little laugh as he shook his head. Reina kept her smirk and sat back in her seat, shrugging a bit. </p><p> </p><p>“Fine. That means I won’t tell you what I know,” she said simply, pulling her laptop back in front of her, ignoring as he eyed her. “Let’s start, then.” </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, what do you know?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit and she glanced up at him. </p><p> </p><p>“An eye for an eye,” she shrugged again, looking back at her computer screen as she pretended to be disinterested in the information exchange. He let out a little groan and glanced over at the doors before finally deciding to give in. </p><p> </p><p>“They figured out Haruhi’s fear. It’s thunder and lightning,” Kaoru started, looking back at Reina. “Hikaru and I figured out that’s why she hugged him back when we walked up, there was thunder right then. But obviously none of us knew she was afraid or anything until he and the boss showed up to her room. Hikaru stayed most of the night with her, I guess until the storm ended.” Reina gave a little nod. </p><p> </p><p>“I guess I should have figured it was something like that. What I was going to tell you was that Tamaki seems much more open to the idea of Hikaru and Haruhi together. That makes sense if he was consoling her,” she said with another nod, then smiled a little. “Has he figured out that he likes her? Does she seem to like him back? Are they any closer?” Kaoru sighed a bit. </p><p> </p><p>“Hopeless,” he repeated. “Soon, hopefully. I think he’s starting to open up to that idea. She seems warmer to him, but it’s hard to tell with the walls she has around her,” he said, giving another little laugh as he shook his head a bit again, looking off into the distance. “You’re all hopeless, every last one of you.” </p><p> </p><p>“And what about you, Mr. Hopeful? How about your love life?” </p><p> </p><p>“When I fall in love, everyone will know it,” he gave with a determined nod, looking back at her. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I thought you don’t kiss and tell,” she reminded him, a little grin on her face. He simply met her with a shooing motion, rolling his eyes at the mention of his own words, nonverbally telling her that it was just a figure of speech. “And is that what you’re assuming we’re all in? Love?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” he said, a smirk illuminating his face once more. Reina rolled her eyes and touched her mousepad to start her computer back up. </p><p> </p><p>“You really are full of hope, little brother. Sing a quick scale, let’s get this day over with already.”</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>When the rest of the hosts reappeared, Reina stole Hikaru for a swift moment to catch him up to speed on their part. After they both got it down, she sent them off and moved onto the next group. Hikaru was pretty straightforward during their encounter, seemingly uninterested in chatting, and with how tired Reina had gotten throughout the day's adventures, she didn’t really question why. Honey enthusiastically offered to go next, which didn’t surprise Reina very much. After he finished up his part, he didn’t seem all too eager to leave her station quite yet. </p><p> </p><p>“Rei-Chan, I’m sorry we didn’t get to you sooner on the beach trip,” he told her, which did in fact shock her. Reina peered up at him from her laptop, eyebrows furrowed. “I would have beat up those guys in a second.” </p><p> </p><p>“That’s okay, Honey. It wasn’t your obligation,” she reminded him softly, sending him a gentle smile, but he just returned with a tiny sigh. </p><p> </p><p>“We still should have been,” he reiterated. “Tama-Chan was really torn up about it, especially after you left,” he confided in her. Reina took a short peek up at Tamaki, who was excitedly discussing something with Kyoya. Unbeknownst to Reina, he was frantically recounting each time that Reina had kissed him in front of a crowd during the day, no matter how little interest Kyoya was showing in the conversation. With a quick adjustment to his persona, Honey perked back up. “But he’s better now! He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Especially since you’ve been around more often! Do you think you two are going to get married, Rei-Chan?” </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know if I’ll get married at all,” Reina prefaced, but shot him a look. “People here sure seem to talk about love and marriage a lot, especially for all of us being so young. Is that a cultural thing, or is this school just all about being in love?” She asked him curiously, only getting a little giggle back as he jumped up from his spot. </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe we all can just see true love when it’s in front of us,” he offered casually. <em> Twice in the last hour that I’ve gotten a comment about being in love? Did they plan this, what the hell is happening? </em>Honey giggled again at Reina’s pale face. “It’s okay Rei-Chan, you’re not ready to admit that you’re in love, I’ll keep your secret safe! I think you two will get married,” he winked up at Reina, still laughing softly at the dumbfounded expression on her face and skipping off before she could respond. Rather than getting a moment to herself to process her thoughts like she had anticipated, Mori made his way over and took a seat where Honey just was, sparing no time whatsoever. Reina glanced up at him, giving a short smile and nod before looking down at her laptop, preparing to start immediately. That wasn’t Mori’s plan. </p><p> </p><p>“You did really good today,” he complimented once more. “I liked Into The Woods.” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s a good one,” Reina nodded, looking at him. She pushed her laptop away, giving him a gentle smile as she decided the task could wait a few minutes, especially considering almost everyone else got a few moments to talk with her individually. “I also heard you catch my Annie Get Your Gun reference. I didn’t know you were into musical theatre. Did you ever take any theatre classes?” She asked curiously. He gave a short head shake. </p><p> </p><p>“I prefer to watch,” he informed her. She nodded softly. </p><p> </p><p>“That makes sense. You wanna hear something kind of funny?” She asked, getting a nod in return. “I wrote a musical one time.” His eyebrows lifted, the tiniest glimmer of amusement showing on his face. </p><p> </p><p>“I want to hear it,” he said, quite avidly compared to his typical monotone voice. She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. </p><p> </p><p>“It never got that far. I just wrote it, I never did any recording or anything. I haven’t even looked at it in a while, I’m sure it’s garbage, but it was fun to work on at the time,” she elaborated, grinning up at him. </p><p> </p><p>“You should record it, I’m sure it’s good,” he mentioned. “I want to hear it once you do.” </p><p> </p><p>“If I do, then you’ll be the first to know,” she mused. He glanced around the room before looking back at her, appearing to be ready to start the actual work. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not wearing a dress,” he let her know. Reina nodded, once again moving her finger against her mousepad to start her computer back up. </p><p> </p><p>“I sort of figured. I even mentioned it to Tamaki when he told me the idea, but he either didn’t hear or didn’t really care. Besides, no group song is really all that good without a baritone,” she teased, grinning down at the laptop as she looked everything over. Without a word from him, Reina could tell that Mori was pleased that she wasn’t upset over his choice not to partake in that slimmer of the act.  “Perfect. Let’s start.” </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Kyoya was literally shoved by Tamaki to go next, as Tamaki had made the decision that he wanted to go last. Though he had no issue with being the next in line, the brusque nature of Tamaki left a sour taste in Kyoya’s mouth, even as he sat in front of the beaming Reina. </p><p> </p><p>“You want to get right to work?” She asked him, noticing the gloomy vibe he brought with him. Kyoya cast a short glance behind him to Tamaki, who sat on his lonesome watching the pair from afar, clearly anxious to begin his turn. Kyoya let out a short huff as he turned to Reina, shaking his head gently. </p><p> </p><p>“We can make Tamaki wait a few more moments, since he so kindly insisted that I take my turn now,” he told Reina, only a bit of bitterness in his tone from the previous encounter. She couldn’t help but laugh as she nodded. With a tiny smirk on her lips, she saved the progress she had on her laptop before shutting it and peeking up at Tamaki, giving him a short wave then turned back to Kyoya, placing the majority of her focus on him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tamaki sit up even further in his seat to try and make sure he saw correctly, then his jaw dropped, which made her have to stifle a laugh. “I was very surprised that those Lobelia girls were the ones to mention your performances today, I thought I was going to have to break the news to him once you left,” he mentioned coolly. She cocked an eyebrow at him, but the tiny smile on her face was unphased as she watched Tamaki move just a bit closer - as sneakily as he could - trying to catch pieces of their conversation. “Of course, we had to miss the first one no matter what, but we were going to be there for the final two whether or not you had told him. It was interesting to see the scenario where neither of us had to be the one to tell him.” </p><p> </p><p>“And how do you know that I wanted everyone to be there? Maybe my silence was deliberate,” she casually pointed out, sitting back in her seat. She glanced up just as Tamaki was trying to subtly move down even further on the couch, sending him a little wink as he stopped in his tracks, then turned back to Kyoya who was pushing up his glasses alongside a miniscule smirk. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure your silence was deliberate, for one reason or another, but that doesn’t particularly matter. I did mention to you that this is a group who would be by your side once we got that signature from you,” he added. </p><p> </p><p>“You know, you never actually told me <em> why </em> you all would be here for me with that signature - aside from maybe because I’m paying you to, I didn’t read that membership contract too extensively if we’re being honest with one another,” she mused, though that curiosity remained. He turned around in his seat to see Tamaki sheepishly sitting in a spot that was much closer then the one he had originally left him in, then slowly turned back to Reina, answering her question nonverbally. When it didn’t appear like Reina quite understood, Kyoya made the executive decision not to explain it to her. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll find out in due time, I did tell you back then not to worry about it, and that still stands,” he answered. Reina scrunched up her nose with a little huff, but gave a short nod as she opened her laptop up again. </p><p> </p><p>“Not that I really expected to get an answer out of you, to be honest. I should have known that much; so secretive for someone who knows so much. And I can’t even get a simple answer, even after I deliberately ignore certain things. Like I totally could have probed you this morning and asked why you were on the phone, but I didn’t,” Reina pointed out. Even though she had been acting serious, Kyoya could easily see past the charade and saw that she had in fact been joking. </p><p> </p><p>“I did find it ironic that it was you of all people who walked up while I was on that important phone call this morning,” he added, a little twinkle in his eye. Reina glanced up, then slowly grimaced. </p><p> </p><p>“Ironic that it was me, what does that mean? Are you teasing me? I can’t even tell,” she groaned. When no response came, she sighed. “I’ll do you the favor and once again deliberately ignore that, or just assume that you are in fact teasing me.” </p><p> </p><p>“That sounds like an excellent plan.” </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Reina and Kyoya breezed through his work easily enough, but had decided to take a few extra moments just to mess with Tamaki even further. By the time they were done with their playful taunting, Tamaki was practically looming at the table, though kept a good ten feet distance just to remain as casual as he could. Kyoya stood and turned to Tamaki silently, watching as Tamaki’s expression grew more and more impatient. He stared at him for a moment, dragging the joke out just a tad longer, before finally stepping away from the chair and motioning to it for the antsy blonde. Tamaki was quick to take a seat, practically diving into it, then leaned across the table with a wide grin at Reina. </p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to be your last guest of the night,” he mused, beaming at her. “Just to make the end of your night extra special.” </p><p> </p><p>“How sweet of you,” she said with a tiny wink, then looked over at the laptop. “You ready?” His face dropped at her words, so she glanced up at him, furrowing her eyebrows. “Not ready?” </p><p> </p><p>“You talked to everyone else before they started,” he pointed out, a small pout on his face. She smiled gently at him as she shut her laptop, casting it off to the side to give him her undivided attention. </p><p> </p><p>“Technically, I talked to a few of them after we finished,” she teased, making his nose scrunch up. </p><p> </p><p>“You technically talked to <em> some </em> both before and after,” he muttered, his eyes moving over to Kyoya. Kyoya had felt the pair of eyes on him as he had been trying to practice his part so he peered up, giving Tamaki an uncomfortable wave, then headed off in a further direction to continue his rehearsal elsewhere. Reina reached out and touched Tamaki’s chin with one of her fingers, guiding his gaze and turning his attention back to herself. </p><p> </p><p>“Is that four?” </p><p> </p><p>“Four what?” </p><p> </p><p>“Four times you’ve been jealous today for no reason?” She asked, giving him a little smirk. Tamaki’s cheeks turned a soft pink and he bit the inside of his cheek, though he basked in the feeling of Reina’s finger that remained under his chin. “No need to be so tense, baby. I’ll talk to you as long as you could ever want, but everyone has been here a really long time, and I figured we could talk on our own time,” she pointed out. With the logic thrown in front of him, he finally gave a little nod, almost sighing out loud when she removed her finger from him and moved back to the laptop. </p><p> </p><p>“But I did have an idea,” he mentioned as casual as he possibly could, though the excitement in his voice was hardly masked. She peeked up at him, a single eyebrow raised. “I think I would do better practicing if you sang the melody for me! It would be like our very first duet together.” </p><p> </p><p>“Do you actually think that’ll help you?” She asked him curiously, getting a rapid nod in return. “Hmmm,” she mused, pretending to think about it, just to keep him on his toes. Finally, she looked back up at him. “I think I can manage that for you.” His face lit up, a wide grin forming across it. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re going to love it! I’ll do your beautiful voice justice, <em> my love. </em>In fact, you may even be begging me to sing to you from now on!” </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, good point. Then I would never need to sing to you - you could just sing to me,” she teased, laughing very softly as his face fell again. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, no, that’s not what I meant,” he clarified. “You can definitely do the singing, aside from this project - specifically singing to me,” he added, in a sense of desperation. </p><p><br/>“We’ll just have to see how good you do then, now won’t we?” She said, grinning up at him, only slightly listening as he continued to try and argue about who would and wouldn’t be singing to the other more often. <em> What a goof. At least he’s a cute goof. </em></p>
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<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Fully In Awe (49)</h2></a>
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    <span>A/N: Wow, over 1000 reads! Thank you so much to everyone for reading and sticking around! I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter &lt;3</span>
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  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Forty Nine</span>
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  <span>As Reina finished finding the particular note each host club member fit best in, she recorded their part separately and then sent them off to a secluded space in the host club room to quietly practice by themselves. She took a few extra moments after finishing with Tamaki to allow him time to practice as she worked diligently on her laptop. Once she finished and felt like she had given them all a fair amount of time, she ordered them back up together. She had moved from the table she had been at over to a couch, and had laid her back against the armrest, knees bent and the laptop in front of her. Tamaki took the seat directly next to her, triple ensuring that nobody could see up her dress, though nobody could in the first place. </span>
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  <span>“We’re done after this, right?” The twins asked together, clearly exhausted, and Reina gave a little shrug.</span>
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  <span>“I wasn’t sure if you guys wanted to do it live, or if you just wanted to lip sync to what I had recorded. Let me play what I have first. I figured out the order that’s going to sound best,” she said, setting her laptop on the table in the middle of the group and pressed play. The twins were first, then Mori, followed by Kyoya and then Honey, finalized by Tamaki’s part, which was the longest and grandest of them all. She had recorded their second part to the little jingle Tamaki had come up with, which was supposed to be sung together, and spliced all of their portions together. On the recording, it was clear that some members were much closer to the microphone - or just much louder - than others. Honey’s voice was the clearest. Everyone could tell that they were harmonized, just not </span>
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  <span> sounding. Once it ended, Reina clicked to something else on the laptop. “That’s what you would sound like if we all went home right now and you didn’t practice together,” Reina said, glancing over at the twin’s who slouched further into the couch. “But in case you’re all done being here and want to just go home, I did edit it,” she clarified, noticing the apprehensive looks she had gotten at the first recording. She pressed play, and as clear as day, it was much better. The little background sounds had almost diminished completely, and when it got to the group portion, each person was at almost the exact same sound level, aside from Honey who was still a tad bit louder than the rest. Even their voices had been cleaned up a bit, though it was clear she didn’t touch them too much as to not ruin the authenticity.  “So it’s up to you guys. Doing it in person may be a little more fun, but this would definitely be easier, and it’s good, you all sound great,” she said, giving them all a little smile. Tamaki opened his mouth to argue in favor of ditching the recording and doing it like the Zuka Club had, but he saw Reina cover her mouth in a little yawn, so he relaxed and gave a small smile in her direction. </span>
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  <span>“I think lip syncing is perfect,” he agreed, much to everyone’s surprise - but also, nobody complained as they all were growing tired as well. Tamaki leaned over and kissed Reina’s temple, giving her a little smile. “Thank you for putting in all that hard work, </span>
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    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he beamed. The twins stood first, each of them stretching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, thanks for doing that. Because we were not staying for much longer,” Hikaru announced matter-of-factly, giving a little nod to Tamaki, who looked like he was ready to throw away his previous words just in spite of the unphased redhead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Reina,” Kyoya said as he stood, retrieving his own laptop from the table next to Reina’s. “How long do you think it’ll take for all of us to get ready?” He asked genuinely, and Reina seemed to think about it for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An hour to be in the clear for sure, an hour and a half if you guys are prone to dicking around,” Reina nodded, and Kyoya actually let out a small laugh at her phrasing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And how long will it take for us to get ourselves back into our normal attire, makeup-less?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Five minutes, but since we’re not sure how Haruhi will react, I’d give it at least thirty minutes to ensure there’s no issues or anything. You wouldn’t want guests walking in on you all cross-dressed, arguing with Haruhi or the Lobelia girls or anything,” Reina pointed out, and Kyoya gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thirty minutes beforehand is when we normally get here anyway, so that should be perfect timing. Haruhi gets here a little earlier in normal circumstances, and this group does tend to </span>
  <em>
    <span>dick around,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he repeated, nodding a bit. “So everyone should get here an hour and a half ahead of time,” Kyoya decided, turning to the twins who were ready to complain already. “Which is around the time school was to begin on a typical day, so you’ll survive. See you all tomorrow,” he said simply, shutting down their argument before giving the crowd a nod and took his leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you again Rei-Chan for helping us out so much!” Honey beamed as he stood, a little yawn coming out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mori nodded, one side of his lips curving up in a half smile. Reina grinned back at the both of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anytime, really,” she said, shutting her laptop and standing up, quickly followed by Tamaki. Mori and Honey sent a little wave to them before leaving, which left only Tamaki and Reina and the twins in the room. “You guys seemed the most eager to leave,” she said, turning to the twins who each let out a bored little yawn, but remained in place. “Something wrong?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happens if this doesn’t convince Haruhi to stay?” Hikaru asked, finally dropping the bored act, now just tired and worried looking. Reina glanced at Kaoru, who remained straight faced, so she gave Hikaru a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t think that’ll happen,” she admitted, but reached forward and touched his shoulder. “But if for some reason she’s not convinced with this, you could just ask her to stay. Genuinely ask, because you want her to,” Reina suggested. “I’m sure some heartfelt speech couldn’t hurt, either,” she teased softly, but her smile remained genuine. “It’ll be okay.” Hikaru finally gave another little nod before looking at Kaoru, who gave him another little smile. “Goodnight, little brothers. Don’t stress too much, she won’t leave,” Reina promised. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>almost</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> sure of it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The two turned to exit for the night, and Reina and Tamaki watched them walk out the door before turning to each other. It only took a moment before Reina stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around the middle of his body, resting her head on his chest. He stood completely still for a moment before gently wrapping his arms back around her, softly rubbing her back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” He asked, his voice calm and comforting, and she laughed tiredly, glancing up at him through her bangs, her chin against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I just wanted a hug,” she said, then laid her cheek against his chest, arching her back as he started to give her scratches on her back. “Can I come stay at your house tonight?” She asked quietly and he nodded, a large grin on his face as he held her tighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he said, though neither of them moved out of their current positions. She glanced down at her laptop, figuring she could leave it there in order to cut down on things to carry, but then remembered the many flowers she had gotten, finally sighing and pulling herself further from him, but kept her hands at his sides as she looked up at him. Suddenly, a thought dawned on him. “When’s the last time you ate?” He asked, eying her as she went a little pale. “I know you don’t eat much at breakfast, and you’ve had a busy day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had coffee while I was hosting,” she tried, but his eyes widened and he shook his head at her. “Okay, don’t shake your head at me. Have you eaten anything since breakfast?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow up at him. Tamaki thought about it for a moment and after realizing that he hadn’t, he gave a little shrug and a grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to go get the biggest dinner of our lives, then.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina looked over at the makeup she had left at Tamaki’s house for mornings such as these, giving her eyes a little rub before looking over at him, still a bit tired from their late night of junk food and more breathtaking sex. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It seems like every time gets better, which I guess makes sense. Practice makes perfect, and I guess I’ve been giving him quite a bit of practice. </span>
  </em>
  <span>In fact, last night was the night they had used their final condom in the initial pack - and had to crack open the second one that Tamaki had picked up for round two. Though she was tired, he seemed extra chipper, softly humming as he got dressed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never asked, did you want me to help with hosting both days? Or just yesterday?” She asked, pulling him out of his blissful trance as he glanced up at her, though the content little smile on his face remained. He moved over to her, his dress shirt still unbuttoned as he wrapped a single arm around her waist and tilted her chin up to look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did so well yesterday, but I don’t want to steal all of your days, my little angel,” he told her softly, and she gave a little laugh, one hand planting against his bare chest, slowly running up and down his body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s either stay and help you all day, or help you all with the Haruhi scheme and then go home,” she reminded him quietly, eyes remaining on his own. She could feel the amount of passion looking down on her in his stare, it almost felt weighted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He looked similarly last night…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Though there was only a moment in lapse between her words and his next, it felt like a lifetime of gazing into his zealous blue eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then stay with me,” he concluded, his finger slowly stroking the underside of her chin. She gave a soft nod and leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the side of his jaw before finally pulling herself out of his tight grasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Let me do my makeup and then I’ll be ready,” she told him, moving over to the other side of the room to grab the small bag of necessities and then over towards the mirror in his room, taking a seat in front of it as she usually did. He watched in admiration as she moved across his room, completing her morning tasks. Her hair was still up in the two buns from her shower the night before, and he watched as she finally pulled them out from the two bands, releasing her wavy red hair and watched as it bounced at her shoulders. She gave a little head shake to separate the individual hairs from one another, running a hand through each side quickly before turning back down to her bag. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Her stride, her confidence, her hair, her little pouty lips, everything down to each of her freckles is just so perfect. Wait - her freckles. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My dear, you should indulge me today by allowing me to see your freckles all day, not just in the morning and night,” he mentioned, his voice still with a sultry hint in it. Reina glanced up at him through the mirror, noticing that he had yet to button his shirt up, and she gave him a little apprehensive look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re awfully sweet this morning, I figured you would be nervous with your act you have going on today,” she mentioned, but put her foundation back inside the bag and reached in for her eye makeup instead. “I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>indulge</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, for today at least,” she teased, not noticing his soft facial expression looking back at her reflection. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That just means I have less to do today, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she realized as she held back another yawn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to have nerves when I get to spend my time with such a beautiful girl as yourself,” he responded, finally moving his hands down to the bottom of his shirt and began to move up, buttoning it up. "Plus I know that our brilliant plan will work," he assured, moreso to himself. Absentmindedly, he went back to his humming. Reina listened in, and after a moment, she recognized the tune and her eyes widened. Slowly, she relaxed and a little smile came to her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s humming the song Hiroto and I sang yesterday,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she realized. As he came up on the vocal parts, she started to sing softly along to it. As he heard her, he almost stopped in surprise, but he eased into it quickly as he continued his humming. Though it was rough from his absentminded listening during the first part, she still could easily sing along to it. He began to listen to the lyrics as he pulled his school jacket over himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“My power over you grows stronger yet”,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he recalled from her quiet singing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How true that is.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He glanced over at her as the thought came into his head, and noticed she had stopped singing, now setting her makeup back aside and standing up. “Why’d you stop, my angel of music?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you stopped humming, handsome” she mused, turning around to face him with a small smile, though he just blushed up when he realized that he had in fact stopped humming along, internally damning himself. “Plus, I think it’s time to go. Especially if we want to stop in for breakfast, get coffee, and also make it to the club on time.” Tamaki glanced down at his watch and gave a swift nod, holding his hand out for her as she made her way over to him, and they made their way down to the dining hall to meet with Yuzuru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, children. Reina, should I greet you as Christine, or Cinderella?” He mused softly. Reina stopped in her tracks, blinking in response. “I have to say, I liked each performance equally, I couldn’t pick which one was my favorite,” he mentioned, finally getting a little laugh out of Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Tamaki has taken to calling me ‘angel of music’,” she mused as she took her seat next to Tamaki, who was beaming over in her direction at the mention of the new nickname he had coined for her. “I didn’t know you were in attendance.” Yuzuru let out his own little laugh at the couple, then turned all of his attention to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The chairman would never miss out on an event like the cultural festival. I reached out to Connor and offered to take him out to lunch, if he would also be in attendance. He clued me in on the fact that it hadn’t even been mentioned to him,” Yuzuru said, now cocking an eyebrow at the pink faced girl. Tamaki turned to her, wide eyed. “Tamaki never mentioned it either, so it sounds like you were tight lipped about it.” Reina let out a nervous laugh, glancing around at all the paintings on the walls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Such a long trip for something so short and silly - he would have made it, though, and that’s all I need to know, he doesn’t have to prove it by actually doing it,” she smiled, glancing over to Tamaki who still looked a bit concerned and gave a little shrug. “Maybe next time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. Well, he seemed upset, I think he would have wanted to come. I hope you do think about it next time,” Yuzuru said softly, not trying to be too reprimanding in his tone. “We also discussed the vacation to visit him that was mentioned on his recent trip. He invited Tamaki, and as long as Reina is okay with it, I would gladly let him join. Once again, for family reconnections, I can excuse a day or two of school, unless of course you wanted a longer trip, then summer break isn’t too far off. Just let me know what days you’re looking to book flights for,” he said with a soft smile. Tamaki’s face lit up at the idea of being invited by Connor to join in on the trip, and found himself basking in the idea of going on a vacation with Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Yuzuru, I appreciate that. I’ll let you know,” Reina gave a soft nod, glancing over as Tamaki began to pick up food, preparing to place it on her plate, her nose scrunching a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were nowhere to be found at the end of the performances, there were quite a few people who wanted to speak to you,” Yuzuru mentioned. Reina looked up from her grimace as Tamaki began to fill her plate. “Recruiters. I would have thought your teacher would have mentioned how important it was to wait around and see if anyone was looking to discuss with you all after the acts were over. Though, I suppose that’s what the musical is for as well, you’ll have your second shot then,” Yuzuru assured, then smiled. “All those same recruiters will be there today and I guarantee they would recognize you if you wanted to pop in at the end and hear them out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t realize I was stealing you from something important,” Tamaki said, his voice full of concern, but Reina shook her head a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She did talk to us about it, but only if it piqued our interest. And it didn’t for me,” she clarified with a smile to both men, who sat back a little confused. “I have no interest in pursuing a career in performing, so it’s better not to waste anyone’s time in conversations that wouldn’t lead anywhere.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Quite an interesting take. You do have talent, and I would assume you have passion for it since all performances for the cultural festival were optional. Yet, you wouldn’t want to make money off of it?” He mused, cocking an eyebrow at her. Reina gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s important to keep recreational passions and financial endeavors separate. Besides, I know what I’m like. Performing the same musical night after night for weeks on end sounds mentally exhausting and frankly, boring - I was getting tired of those three songs and it had only been two weeks. I also find it important to keep boundaries between your work and home life, and it’s hard to have home life when you’re gone every night. On top of all that, the best of the best go to Broadway - not to say I would achieve that, but that’s essentially every actor’s dream, and I don’t see myself happily living in New York for very long,” she explained with a little laugh, finally getting a little nod from Yuzuru. She began to pour water into her glass, overlooking the pile of food on her plate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those are some solid ideologies to uphold. I would like to remind you, not all of them are there searching for actors. If you were to be interested in anything that’s related to the arts, there would at least be one person willing to talk to you,” Yuzuru said with a smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh, maybe I should take a look at that musical I mentioned to Mori,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll have to take a look at it and see just how bad of shape it’s in.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll stop by after the musical to see if any of them are still interested in speaking with me,” Reina said with a tiny little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure they will be,” Yuzuru assured, then furrowed his eyebrows. “Though, if you were to take over Lux, wouldn’t you end up in New York anyway?” He asked, which made Tamaki perk up to listen in. Yuzuru was aware of what Connor had said about that possibility, but he wanted to hear Reina’s take on the situation. Reina gave a sad little smile as she set the pitcher down, looking back up at Yuzuru as she grabbed her glass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think - luckily or unlikely, however you want to view it - I probably won’t have to deal with that. If they were to want me to join in on the business in one way or another, I’m sure I would be working abroad somewhere. I always figured that may be why they’ve sent me off, perhaps to become accustomed to a country in which they may open up something else. If that’s not the case, then that’s fine as well, but I doubt I’ll spend my days in New York,” she said, giving a little smile and a nod before taking a drink of her water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the oldest child. Wouldn’t you be the one that would receive Lux?” Tamaki asked sadly. Reina glanced over at him, cocking an eyebrow, and it seemed to dawn on him right then about all the conversations they had previously. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The bastard daughter who doesn’t talk to her grandparents, who technically owns the company still. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Right. What do you think you’ll want to do then, if you don’t take over the company?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Other than being my wife,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought about adding to the end, but bit his tongue in time, mostly for the sake of not mentioning something like that in front of his dad who seemed to be buddying up with Reina’s dad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clearly they’re in conversation with one another, I’m sure that would get passed along.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Create a competing hotel chain,” she laughed, then gave another shrug. “Whatever I want. I don’t know, just going with the wind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything at the forefront of your mind that you’d like to do?” Yuzuru asked curiously, and Reina gave him a little smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I would be a good politician. I have passion for that, and I don’t really mind tedious paperwork or the required arguing it takes. But that would require me to move back to America, and I’m not sure if that’s quite in the cards for me. Plus, I feel like you need to put your entire life on a platter for everyone to look at in that field, so I would probably hate that aspect,” she said, and Yuzuru cocked an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A politician, huh? Sounds awful,” he teased, which made Reina roll her eyes slightly. “And sounds like it would not only be tedious, but also hard work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know this man who’s a chairman, and has called his work a ‘hobby’ in the past, so I think I could handle it,” Reina mused back, a loud laugh coming from Tamaki. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I always hate when he says that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to himself. “I always thought it would be fun to buy out a failing business and fix it up. I feel like so many times, there are these businesses that go under because they don’t allow fresh eyes to look into the problems, and instead of jumping ship, they let it sink,” she smiled, then shrugged again. “Or maybe I’ll just be a barista,” she said teasingly, which made Tamaki’s jaw drop almost to the floor. As Reina laughed at Tamaki’s expression and they began on some light banter, mostly composed of Tamaki telling Reina she would never be allowed to work with perverts like the barista at their current coffee shop as long as he was around, a lightbulb went off in Yuzuru’s mind, and he decided to tuck the thought away for later use. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>stop moving?” Reina begged, letting out an exasperated laugh. “I’ll pin you down if I have to.” Tamaki puckered his lips again after she wiped some of the lipstick from his chin and fixed the foundation in the spot, which had ended up there after he had abruptly turned his head to look at everyone else’s progress on their own makeovers. It definitely hadn’t been the first time he had moved his head around in the middle of her work. Since Mori had opted out of dressing like a girl, he was helping Honey, who was the most enthusiastic with the whole ordeal out of the group. The twins had sat themselves down in front of one another to pretty up each other’s faces, and Kyoya insisted he could take on the task alone. She successfully finished his lipstick, then moved onto eye products. “You have to be really still for this stuff, okay? If you move, I’ll have to redo your whole eye,” she said, sending him a look. He took a deep breath before nodding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, then thought about it further. “But, how were you planning on pinning me down?” He asked curiously, and she raised her eyebrows at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re worried about moving, then I could just do it right now,” she said simply, though her voice had playful hints as she gazed up at him, eyes twinkling. His breath hitched for a moment before he turned his head all around, a little smirk crawling to his face as he heard her let out a huff. Reina grabbed her makeup items and stood from the floor they were sitting on. Worried he had made her mad, he immediately stopped to apologize, but she grabbed the back of his shirt collar and dragged him over to the side of the room, pressing him against the wall and sat down on his lap, her shins pressed against the cold floor. She took one hand and placed it on his cheek to steady his head, using the other to pull out the makeup items she needed, a little smirk pressed on her lips as his face grew red, even visible underneath the layers of foundation she had put on him. “There, that should be easier,” she said quietly, looking back up at him, her eyes full of mischief. He cleared his throat, but stayed still in her grasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe easier in one aspect,” he whispered back, adjusting slightly underneath her, though he made extra sure to keep his head still. Reina let out a tiny giggle, but continued to work on applying his purple eyeshadow. With every little movement she made, she would make sure to move her lower body as well, just enough to make him notice. “I’m not sure what your plan is,” he mumbled, eyes closed as she began on his eyeliner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My plan?” She asked him quietly, a smirk still evident through her voice. “What ever could you mean?” She innocently questioned, just as she moved herself down to reach his other eye, hearing his breath hitch once more in his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what I mean,” he muttered, adjusting himself under her again. “We don’t have time to go home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she whispered, finally finishing his eyeliner and stroking his cheek a few times as she pressed her hips further into his. “It’s part of your punishment, accompanied by being pinned. You can open your eyes for mascara,” she grinned. His eyes shot open, blinking rapidly up at her. “Perfect, do exactly that,” she smirked, placing the mascara wand right under one of his lashes. He stared at her before complying, biting the inside of his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think you’re funny or something?” He hushedly whispered through grit teeth, and she moved over to the other eye, exaggerating her movement once more by bouncing just once on his lap which made him grunt as quietly as he could, with as much restraint as he could muster. “I could get you back, you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you have a vengeful bone in your body, so I’ll call your bluff on that one,” she mused, finally finishing up with her work and gave him a soft kiss on the tip of his nose before swiftly standing. Tamaki’s eyes shot wide open as he bent his knees, trying to conceal the scene that Reina had created. “Go get your dress and wig on, let me know if you need any help, beautiful,” she said with a little wink, before heading off to check up on the other hosts. As Reina made her way around, she met up with Honey and Mori first. After noticing Honey was pretty much ready, aside from his wig, Reina asked Mori to set up her laptop to the speakers, which he easily obliged to. She headed over to find the twins doing as she expected - dicking around. After rerouting them to the task at hand, she made her way over to Kyoya, taking notice of the pile of makeup wipes sitting next to him, all full of different eye shadow colors. She glanced up at him and noticed his furrowed eyebrows as he stared into the tabletop mirror. “Is it not going right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not exactly,” he responded curtly, his lips pursing. Reina gave him a soft smile before taking a seat next to him, grabbing hold of a brush. “I don’t need help.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you don’t, but I’m here to offer it anyway. What color is your dress again?” She asked, keeping grip on the brush. Kyoya eyed her for a moment before settling back into his seat and let out a little sigh. “It’s purple and black, right?” She looked down at the makeup wipes next to his arm, a hue of plums, greys and black spread across them. “If you don’t like how any of that looked, you could just lighten up the look by only doing lighter colors, with eyeliner and mascara. It’ll make you look less dark looking, if that’s what the problem was,” she smiled. Kyoya finally gave a little nod, and Reina grabbed one of the palettes that the hosts had for them to work with. “You don’t have to deny help. Aren’t you the wise man who told me not to turn away this fine group of supporters?” She mused as she began to apply some soft nude colors to his closed eyelids. “I can return the support.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might recall that,” Kyoya responded, and finally his irritation seemed to fade as a small smirk turned across his lips. “But it seemed as if you were too busy to help a little earlier.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure what you mean, I’m always free to help,” Reina said innocently, setting the makeup brush back down and grabbing the eyeliner, leaning in a little closer to put all of her concentration into her work. Kyoya made a little ‘hm’ sound, but didn’t elaborate any further. “Don’t worry, you’ll have time to write that down in your notebook once I’m done.” His smirk remained on his face, not braving to move to nod in the middle of her eyeliner swipes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the room, Tamaki had finally been able to move from his spot to continue getting ready. His humming had come back shortly after the ordeal, once the initial shock of the situation had passed, and he went back into his trance of admiration from earlier in the morning. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There has never been a girl that made me feel this nervous, and so </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>good</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>. I’ve made many girls swoon, but I’ve never had it thrown back at me. She’s so worthy of everything I want to give her. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The twins quickly noticed the bubbling blonde and expected Reina to be nearby, but when they saw her leaned into Kyoya’s face to finish up his work, they each glanced at each other before heading over to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure seem happy for that being on the other side of the room,” Hikaru mused as they moved on each side of Tamaki. Tamaki popped one eye open to look over in the direction they were referring to, and after seeing the innocent interaction, let out a mocking laugh with a cocky headshake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two can’t waiver my spirit, even if you tried. I’ve made the decision that I will no longer be jealous!” He declared, his hands planting onto the waistline of his ball gown, his chin pointed high and eyes closed victoriously. “I know that I don’t have any competition.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe you don’t have any competition with Kyoya, but are you going to keep the same energy when those guys show up again while she’s hosting today?” Kaoru asked, cocking an eyebrow as Hikaru smirked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, especially with the dress our mother sent us with for Reina to wear today,” Hikaru noted. Tamaki’s stance did not change, though he definitely had a much longer pause than he had anticipated between their words as he thought about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” he finally said, his voice with much less confidence, his shoulders and chin slumping a bit, but hands remaining on his waist. Hikaru and Kaoru each rolled their eyes, then turned back to Reina and Kyoya, who had just finished up. Reina had moved over to check on Mori, making sure the laptop was all set up to the speakers - of course, it was. Tamaki’s hands finally dropped from his waist and he opened up his eyes to watch Reina talk to Mori, a small smile on his face. “I still don’t think I have any competition, but I’ll still feel envious of anyone she’s spending her time with if it’s not me. Not jealous,” he clarified, though both twins furrowed their eyebrows at him as he turned back towards the mirror and lifted the wig in his hands, slowly going back to humming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those are the same words,” the twins pointed out together, but Tamaki paid no attention to it. Hikaru gave a little shrug and turned, taking his leave to spend the rest of his free time playing some video games. Kaoru trailed after him at a much slower pace, turning around when he saw Reina make her way to Tamaki. Though he could no longer hear the conversation, he could see her laughing and reaching up, adjusting his crooked wig. Tamaki scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed of his failed attempt, but they still grinned at one another, diving into a conversation that couldn’t be overheard. Kaoru watched the couple for another minute, eyes flickering between each of them. His eyes darted to Tamaki’s and in that moment, Kaoru knew it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s definitely in love, I was right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Haruhi, of course, chose to stay. Their performance had gone over well, and Reina deliberately stayed out of sight from the Lobelia girls to successfully stay out of any other unnecessary debates or arguments with them. Though, when Benio announced they would come back, she included Reina in the people she was going to save from the host club. Reina was thrilled to hear Hikaru speak to Haruhi during the debacle, in as much of a plea as he was able to squeeze out, asking her to stay. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I even saw her blush a little. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that from her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Reina recalled. Her peaceful bliss had been destroyed, though, when the twins ushered her into a changing room accompanied with a dress. When she changed and revealed herself to the twins and the lingering French man, she had an apprehensive look on her face. Tamaki’s eyes nearly shot out of his head and he grabbed each twin by the back of their shirt collars. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>maid’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> outfit? We’re not even doing costumes today!” He yelled, but each of the redheads were just grinning back at Reina, who still wearing her uneasy look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not even really a maid’s costume, it’s just a black dress with an apron around it. Besides, we’re all wearing suits today, and our mom thought ours made us look like butlers so she thought it would fit,” Kaoru defended, and Hikaru crossed his arms, looking back at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you’re not wearing the headpiece, that ties the whole thing together. And we didn’t send you in with tights either, mom made sure the dress would be long enough for you. Where are the heels we left in there?” Hikaru critiqued, Reina’s face dropping with each sentence he spit out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Long enough? It hardly covers my ass right now, I can’t even imagine with the heels,” Reina shot back, Tamaki going pale at the mention of her dress going any shorter than it already was. The dress was definitely the skimpiest he had personally seen her in. The neck was low cut, with puffy short sleeves that scrunched in at the end. The white apron was tied around her tiny waist, making it look even more slim, and the dress shot out in a ballroom style right where the apron was tied at, but like Reina had mentioned, it stopped right below her bottom. “I’ll compromise and take the tights off, but I’m wearing my regular shoes,” she tried. The twins glanced down at her black Converse, and glanced at each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, but put on the headpiece,” they said together. Reina rolled her eyes but went back into the dressing room to oblige. The twins turned back to Tamaki, eyes glimmering with more mischief as they saw his pale face. “Don’t worry boss, you said you’re not getting jealous anymore,” they reminded him with a mocking tone, only getting a grimace in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter whether or not I’ll be jealous, I don’t want her to be that revealed around a bunch of men she’s not comfortable with,” Tamaki defended, only getting a head shake from both the twins, just as Reina reemerged in her completed outfit. Tamaki got even paler at the sight of her bare, long legs in front of him, but tried to cast aside any of his jealous thoughts. Hikaru and Kaoru gave her a big thumbs up, but all they got from her was an eye roll in return as she headed off towards her temporary hostess station. When the doors finally opened for guests to enter, the mixed gendered crowd was overwhelming for not only Tamaki, but for everyone else. Nobody quite expected the group of men from the day before to really come back right away, and after a quick count, it looked like there had been more than there were yesterday anyway. After a little bit of furniture rearranging, everyone took their seats with their desired hosts - or, hostess. Just as the day before had gone, it didn’t take long for Reina to settle into her new position, even with the new guests and the uncomfortable outfit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Tamaki found himself with a tiny break in the midst of a lapse in guests, he couldn’t help but find himself wandering over to Reina’s station, picking up on some of what the group was talking about. He could hear Reina’s soft laugh, accompanied by the laugh of a few other guys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about you, Reina? What was your worst date?” One of the guys asked. Tamaki found himself curious with the question and stood within earshot to hear her answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” Reina said, looking up in thought, all eyes fixated on her. “I don’t think I have that many bad date stories, to be honest. I had a weird situation where I went on a group date, and a girl and I basically switched date partners by the end of the night, but that’s not a bad ending. My date and the other girl stayed together through the end of the school year, and I still had a good night, so everything was cool,” she said, trying to think of a better story for them. “Oh! I got reminded of this when I started practicing for my duet piece that I performed yesterday. It wasn’t on a date, but there was a guy that was interested in me. He and I were talking about how I liked theatre, and I happened to mention that I saw Phantom of the Opera when I went to New York. Can anyone guess what he said to me?” She asked, leaning into the crowd. Tamaki took another step forward, standing behind the couch. All the men seemed super interested in her story. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, he didn’t like it or something? Or didn’t like theatre?” One of the men in an armchair asked, and Reina shook her head, a small smile in her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, get this. He told me that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> that musical - which is cool, it’s a great musical, it’s the </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span> that gets me. He told me that the reason he loved it so much was because he personally related to the phantom, telling me he just needed to find his Christine that would understand him, and then asked if I would sing for him,” she said, all of the boy’s eyes going wide, except for Tamaki’s, who didn’t quite understand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span> crazy,” the guy who asked the question in the first place laughed. “How old was he?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like, nineteen. This was last year, definitely too old to not know that what he said was super creepy,” she added with a laugh. Tamaki shook away the thought of her talking to a nineteen year old at just sixteen years old, and decided to just clear up his confusion instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with relating with the phantom? I loved when you sang to me, my darling,” Tamaki noted from behind. Reina furrowed her eyebrows and turned around to look at him. He had leaned the palms of his hands against the couch, looking down at Reina with a charming smile. She gave a little laugh, but after realizing he was serious, scrunched her nose up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tama, have you ever seen Phantom of the Opera?” She asked gently. His face fell slightly as he shook his head a little, the rest of the guys finally giving a little laugh as well, understanding the somewhat confusion. “I know they might have seemed like love interests, but they weren’t, not really. We’ll watch it together soon and you’ll see,” Reina told him, giving him a little wink, and his smile came back to his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, so does that mean you weren't singing a love song with Hiroto?" Tamaki realized, his eyes glossing over and twinkling at the new revelation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not really a love song, no," Reina informed him gently, though one of her eyebrows raised up as she watched him get more excited with her confirmation. "Does that mean you were jealous more times than I thought yesterday, my prince?" She teased, getting a few chuckles from the guests as they all curiously watched the couple's interaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jealous isn't the right word, I was envious," he repeated from earlier. Much like the twins, Reina debated pointing out the similarity in the two words, but held her tongue and instead just gave him a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you haven’t seen it if you’re dating a musical theatre nerd,” one guy teased Reina, but paled a bit after realizing the assumption he had made. “If you guys are dating - I guess I just assumed, after yesterday and everything,” he added. Reina blinked over at the guy then turned back to Tamaki with a soft little smile, noticing his evident blush. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I’m going to make him watch every musical with me. He doesn’t get to bypass that,” she responded after the short beat of silence, though didn’t really confirm or deny whether or not they were dating. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s good enough for me, for now. It’s progress,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought to himself as a beam spread across his whole face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s part of your punishment.” “I could get you back, you know.” “I’m calling that bluff.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The pinned scene kept replaying in Tamaki’s mind, and he finally had the opportunity to enact his revenge on the situation. They had made it back to Reina’s house after the long and exhausting day, and they both decided a nice, hot shower was in order - of course, to be enjoyed together. Tamaki washed out his hair, letting the water run down his face a few moments more, then turned to Reina who was faced away from him. He closed the gap between them, his hands resting on her hips. Reina gave a little smile and moved her body back just enough, pressing the back of herself against him. Tamaki’s hands slowly made their ways to the front of her thighs, his fingers slowly stroking the wet skin. Reina laid her head back against his collar, letting the water run down the bottom of her neck and chest. Tamaki took the opportunity to dip his head down to the top of her neck, planting kisses against her soft skin as his hands pulled closer together, teasingly running his fingertips against her. He almost swooned at the feeling of her softly shaking against him, but closed his eyes harder to steady himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to remember the task at hand,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, though every other part of his mind wanted to cast aside the petty revenge and take her right there. He moved his pointer and middle finger to that perfect little spot and slowly began to run his fingers in tiny circles, nibbling softly against her neck. As one of her seductive little moans fell out of her lips, Tamaki shut his eyes almost painfully shut, biting down on part of her shoulder, which only made another moan come out of her mouth. Tamaki’s free hand continued to stroke up and down her shaking, wet thigh, holding her body even closer to his warm one. He knew she could feel his pulsating member against her backside, especially after he could feel her slowly grinding herself against him, making his fingers move a little faster in their work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki,” she quietly moaned out. He could hear her breathing pick up a little faster which was his cue. Swiftly, he lifted his fingers from her clitoris and after making sure she was stable to stand on her own, he took a step back and moved back under his own water stream. Reina blinked, before glancing behind her to see a smirking Tamaki. There was a pause. “Pardon?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t call bluffs you can’t fully guarantee, my sweet little angel,” he responded, eyes twinkling with mischief. Reina glanced down - </span>
  <em>
    <span>still hard,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she noticed. Reina turned forward once more and turned the water off on her side, then turned back to the waggish man in front of her. She took a step forward, placing both her hands on his chest and looking up at him through her dripping bangs, her bottom lip pushing out in a little pout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was mean, Tama,” she almost whispered, glancing back down as she started to rub her hands up and down his chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You made me feel so good. I wish you would have finished, I wish you would have made me orgasm,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she spoke in French, knowing it was one of his very obvious weaknesses. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>I could have made you feel so good, too," </span>
  </em>
  <span>she reminded him softly. Peering back up at him through her bangs, she saw him biting down hard on his lip. Slowly, she lifted her hands from his chest and grabbed her towel from the slightly ajar shower door. “But I understand,” she finished, her own little smirk slipping onto her lips as she wrapped the towel around her body, skipping her normal routine of drying off in the shower to step out, just for extra dramatics. She made her way to the counter to begin the rest of her routine, and had no need to turn around, because she already knew he was staring at her. Just for an extra show, she wiped the majority of her upper body off with the towel and let it hit the ground prematurely, picking up her face products and began to apply them. As she heard Tamaki turn the water off on his side, she leaned against the counter, bending at the waist to look closer in the mirror. In her reflection, she could see Tamaki walk up behind her, a towel wrapped securely around his waist. He scooped down and grabbed her towel, and as soon as she had finished rubbing the product into her skin, he wrapped the towel around her once more and scooped her up in his arms bridal style. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you always know which button to push?” He asked curiously, really only getting a giggle out of her as he began to carry her back to her room. “Everything you do, it makes me crazy,” he mumbled quietly as they walked through the hall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’re just in love with me,” she responded, then blinked a few times, realizing what she had said. “Or, maybe I’m just </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> good at pushing buttons, or making you crazy,” Reina added quickly, a nervous little laugh coming out just as he pushed her bedroom door open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe all three,” he coolly responded, shutting the door with his foot and leading her to the bed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think all three,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, and couldn’t help but smile down at the nervous girl. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But I promised to go at her pace, and that’s what I’ll do.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. An Unexpected Guest (50)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for reading! I said last Sunday that I wasn't going to be posting a chapter on Friday, and I think I may go through with that again, and then hopefully next week we're back on track :) The chapters I'm writing right now are kind of intense and they feel very strategic to write, so I'm trying to find a way to convey all of the necessary information without completely overwhelming you readers because they feel like a lot right now. I'd prefer to get it right as opposed to those chapters making you not like the story as much! Thanks! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying it sounds wrong,” Hiroto explained as he led her to the newspaper room. “The newspaper club just normally doesn’t do stories on anything important, relevant, and most times, even true.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s dumb to not write about actual things going on,” Reina pointed out in defense of the club, and Hiroto glanced over at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. It’s super dumb. Which is why I know they didn’t actually write anything about the cultural festival. This would be an odd time to change their tune after years of not being credible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll just have to see. Either way, I still want to buy one,” she shrugged a little and he nodded, approaching the newspaper room doors. Somehow, the newspaper club had been able to talk their way into proving that the newspaper was academic enough to count as both a club and a class, opting to use it as their last class of the day and just staying afterwards for club hours, so they both figured that the club members should have already been in the room. Reina cracked the door open, poking her head to reveal herself to the three stunned boys, completely in shock that someone was in their presence. “Hey, I’m sorry, are you selling the newest issue of the newspaper yet?” One of the boys glanced down at the rows of boxes filled to the brim with the recent issue, but his eyes were widened as he stared down at the front page, plastered with Reina’s face on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” he finally said, his voice wavering slightly as he thought about the awkward encounter bound to happen. Reina glanced back at Hiroto, who also seemed curious about their apprehension, so he pushed the door open further and took the first step in. All three boys stiffened as Hiroto revealed himself, realizing it may be more than just an uncomfortable circumstance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, are you gonna try and sell them to us or what?” He asked, eyebrows furrowed. Reina was used to his combative attitude around people he wasn’t necessarily used to - or fond of - but she still slapped his arm as she followed him in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, yeah!” The second guy in the room said, grabbing one of the papers, then flipped it upside down before handing it to Reina. His hand was shaking minimally, but neither Reina nor Hiroto gave it a second thought. “500 yen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“500 yen for a school newspaper? Is she buying one or a whole box?” Hiroto asked, arms crossing. Reina simply rolled her eyes at his confrontational attitude and handed the paper over to Hiroto in order to grab her wallet out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Reina said with a little sigh, trying to quietly calm Hiroto down. In his continued huffy state, Hiroto flipped the paper right side up to inspect it, as if to see if it was truly worth the price they had put on it. As he flipped it, the three club member’s breath hitched in their throats as they waited for his reaction. Hiroto paused, eyes trailing across the words in front him. Slowly, he peeked over at Reina, who was still blissfully unaware of the newspaper club members that were currently shaking in their shoes, all of them still unsure of what was going to happen next. He took a deep breath in as he looked back up at the three other boys in the room before ultimately deciding that they weren't worth a fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a bunch of scumbags,” Hiroto concluded, touching Reina’s hand to stop her from rifling through her bag. “You’re not buying this. Let’s go,” he said simply, tightening the grip he had on the already wrinkled papers. She looked up to argue but as she did, he held the pages up to let her read the top headline. After a moment, she turned to the boys in the room, who were all preparing for some kind of verbal lashing or possibly a beating from Hiroto. Silently, she moved over to one of the overflowing boxes and scooped up a good hand full of newspapers before giving them a singular nod and walked out of the room without paying for any. Hiroto followed closely behind, but not before shooting a deathly glare back at the boys, making one of them almost collapse on sight. “Don’t worry about it, nobody reads these,” he said softly. Once they were far enough away, Reina moved to the side of the hallway and slid her back down the wall to sit, letting the newspapers land in her lap as she picked up one and held it up so she could read the article. “Seriously, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone buy one, much less even look at it,” he said, crouching down as she continued to read silently. Her lack of words was nothing even close to reassuring to him, especially as he thought back to the day that he had easily figured out that Reina had given Tamaki the hickies alongside her distressing reaction to it. Finally, she looked up from the paper, letting it fall back into her lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is awful,” she almost whispered. Hiroto frowned and moved to touch her arm, but she glanced back down at the paper and a little giggle came out, which he hadn’t expected, so his hand stopped midway through the action, now just lingering there in the air. “No wonder this isn’t a popular club. This story doesn’t even have any interviews. Their front page story is an opinion piece. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>gossip</span>
  </em>
  <span> opinion piece. This is hysterical,” she added, the giggles turning into little laughs. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>”Possible Naughty Behavior on School Grounds with Host Club King and New Girl”</span>
  </em>
  <span>? They’re insinuating we had sex in the dressing room - because we came out no longer wearing costumes?” She asked, using the paper to cover her face as even more laughs came out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you, there’s a reason nobody trusts this shit,” he said, letting his arm fall back from it's position in the air and falling down onto his bottom instead of crouching, a few chuckles coming out as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean come on, this is so funny,” she said, dropping the newspaper from her face and wiping a tear. “I wanted all of these so I could keep them forever. Maybe send one or two off to people that I know would find amusement in it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re not upset?” He asked to clarify and she shook her head, another laugh coming out as she bundled the papers up once more, standing, which he followed. “Good, because I kinda thought it was funny, too. I’m not sure what was funnier though, the fact that their only customer was the girl on the front page, or that they thought they were going to get 500 yen for this pile of shit from you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>or</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you took an arm’s full without giving them any money at all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not paying for something that lies about me, but especially when they didn’t even have the balls to show me outright. Turning it upside down,” she said with an astonished tone, adding a little laugh and shaking her head a bit again. “I think I may go show this to Tamaki right now. I’m not sure how he’s going to react, really. It’s hard to tell with him,” she said, then glanced down at her full arms. “I guess the same goes for me. Any other circumstance and I probably would be freaking out right now, but it’s just too funny,” she said with another giggle as they approached the fork where they would split off; with her heading off to the host club room and with him going towards the student parking lot. He gave a little nod, finally coming down from his second wind of chuckles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Are we still on for tomorrow night?” He asked, giving her a smile and she nodded back. "And are you sure it's a good idea? I still think this whole double date thing is super weird, if you ask me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good thing I’m not asking you,” she teased gently. “It won’t be weird. I think it should be fun!" He side eyed her, trying to tell her nonverbally that he didn't feel the same, which only got a laugh out of her. "Really, I do."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm still not too sure how I feel about those guys," he admitted. Reina nudged him with her elbow, still grasping onto the newspapers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You seemed to like Tamaki enough when you drove him back to my house. And it looked like you had a fun time with them all when everyone was at my house," she teased him again, only getting an eye roll back. "He’s nice. They’re all nice, Kiyama, don't stress it. Just text me later when you find out what time works best for you and Emica. Tamaki and I are free all day, so anytime.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll let you know what time,” he finally agreed, clutching his bag to him and stealing a newspaper from her pile and giving it a little wave. “Too funny to pass up, I’m keeping one,” he said with a grin, ignoring her soft eye roll as he headed off towards the school’s exit. Reina began her journey off towards the music room 3. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll definitely be a little early, but I guess I can just do some homework, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. It was a struggle to prop the door open with her full hands, but she eventually pulled it open and slipped inside, not paying much attention to her surroundings. As she began heading towards one of the tables, a voice made her jump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a surprise to see you here,” the voice said coolly, though she was anything but. Reina almost jumped out of her skin and she dropped all of the papers in her arms, eyes widening as she turned to see Kyoya, who was calmly sitting at another table nearby. “You don’t typically stay on school grounds for your last class. Aren’t you usually home by this time?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Typically, yes,” she said as she got down onto her knees and began to pull the newspapers back into her arms. “But tech rehearsals for the play start next week, so Hiroto and I have been finishing up some final things we needed to set up for them to run smoothly,” she explained, then looked up at him. “Is that something Tamaki mentioned, that I leave school early?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure in passing, yes,” Kyoya nodded as Reina stood and walked over to his table, taking a seat across from him. “Though, not too hard to find out either, so I’m not sure which came first,” he said with an innocent smile. “I’m more confused about why you’re here instead of being at home, not so much as to why you’re not in class,” he mentioned as he took a glance over at his phone that sat next to his open laptop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could ask why you’re not in class,” Reina mused, sitting back in her chair. “You don’t seem like the ditching class type.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You would be correct. We had a test, and could leave once we were finished,” he responded somewhat smugly, though his eyes never left the phone sitting at his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha. Well, I’ll only be here for a few minutes, I think. I have to show Tamaki something. I’m going to do some homework, would it bother you if I sat here as well?” She asked, and he shook his head, standing up from the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to make a brief phone call, but I don’t mind if you’re still here upon my return,” he said as he scooped up the phone, giving Reina a nod and heading towards the double doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Once again, I won't ask, since I respect boundaries!" She called after him teasingly. Kyoya took a peek at her from behind his shoulder, another smug smirk plastered across his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Once again, I find this situation very ironic, though humorous," he mentioned just as calm as the rest of his words had been throughout the rest of their short conversation. When he left, she let out a short huff, but ultimately chalked it up to an ongoing gag between the pair. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kyoya has been one the most standoffish ones with me between the group, but I think that's just his personality. If this means that maybe he likes me more now then I'll take it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She had begun on her homework assignments, taking notice when the double doors opened again, but this time it was the twins to enter. She perked up immediately and ushered them over with her finger. They furrowed their eyebrows in confusion, but came over anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” They asked together, though only curiosity rang in their voices. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to be one of our guests today?” Kaoru teased, and Reina rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, something much better. I have to show you guys the school newspaper,” she said, reaching across the table to grab them. She had deliberately laid them down upside down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never seen one of those in person,” Hikaru joked, just as Reina flipped the paper right side up and showed them, both of their jaws dropping the moment that their eyes landed on the headline. Reina glanced up when the doors opened again and saw Tamaki walking through. His previously nonchalant face lit up drastically when he saw Reina and made his way over, though stopped in his tracks when he watched the twins rip the newspaper from her hands. They both turned to Tamaki, and their jaws dropped even more dramatically as they each realized that they could use this as another opportunity to tease Tamaki. “Kaoru, I can’t believe what we’re seeing,” he muttered, looking down at the paper again. Kaoru began to shake his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew the boss was a pervert, but I didn’t know he would do this. I’m in shock, Hikaru,” he elaborated, ignoring Tamaki as his face filled with both irritation and confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you two looking at?” He asked, trying to snatch it from their hands, but they quickly turned away from him, intercepting the grab. Tamaki’s frustration grew as he tried to grab the paper once more, but Hikaru grabbed a hold of it before he could and shoved it into his own chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t say it’s out of character. In fact, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> seems like the type to be into that, too,” Hikaru mentioned, glancing over at Reina who simply rolled her eyes back. Tamaki grit his teeth at the mention of Reina, especially since it was accompanied by the comment about him being a pervert, and tried snatching the paper from Hikaru, once again making the twins turn around in order to intercept it. Hikaru had hold of it, and Kaoru was acting as his body guard to keep Tamaki from the paper at any cost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me that!” He yelled, trying again to no avail. “Don’t talk about my Reina, let me see it!” Tamaki was running in circles to try and catch the paper from the twins, who had just continued their mumbles about how strange the situation was, making little comments here and there about Tamaki’s character. When Reina finally decided he had been teased enough, she grabbed one of the spare papers from the table and stood, grabbing onto Tamaki’s arm to catch him from his circling mission and placed the paper in his extended hand, which stopped the three boys in their tracks. Tamaki’s demeanor shifted from irritation to relief as he smiled over at Reina, who was currently ignoring the twin’s complaints sent in her direction for ending their game earlier than they would have wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew something seemed off about that guy,” Reina mentioned casually, eyes darting down towards his hands, and Tamaki blinked. He finally realized she must have been talking about the newspaper in his hand, the one he had neglected to look at once his eyes had met Reina’s. He finally looked down, not too sure what to expect. In front of him were a few photos of him and Reina, but none of them were the ones that they had initially posed for. The first was him and Reina; they were still completely dressed in their separate costumes and their bodies were faced away from the photographer, but they were smiling up at each other and the sides of their faces still clearly visible. The second was another photo of the couple, but in this one, Tamaki walking ahead and leading Reina out of the dressing room. He was no longer wearing the armor to his knight costume, and Reina was dressed in her normal attire. Once again, they both were smiling. Tamaki felt his heart completely melt, more specifically over the second photo depicted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wasn’t even looking at her and she was still smiling with me. I think she is happy,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought in a state of glee. Tamaki glanced back up, a short grin on his face, until he could the confused looks from the three redheads who were watching him silently dote over the paper. He looked back down and moved past the pictures, this time letting his eyes land on the headline. As soon as he read the short snippet, a quick gasp escaped as his eyes widened, nearly flying out of their sockets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen, jokes aside, nobody trusts the school newspaper,” Kaoru assured, looking over at Reina who nodded back understandingly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Hiroto told me. Plus I’ve never actually seen anyone with one, so I’m not worried,” she clarified, looking over at Tamaki who seemed to relax immensely at her words, though his eyes remained fixated on the paper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you buy so many, though?” Hikaru asked, eying the stack that sat on the table. Reina’s face grew red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, technically, I didn’t buy any,” she said slowly, giving a little laugh as she scratched the back of her neck, glancing away. “Kind of just took them when I saw the cover. I wanted to keep them, it’s really funny to me, to be honest,” she admitted, getting a look from all three boys. “Annoying, sure, maybe. But it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> funny as well,” she said with another little giggle. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>new girl?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ve been here for months, I don’t think I can really play that troupe anymore. Outdated,” she noted. Tamaki let his hands fall back to his side, watching Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re not upset?” He asked, deja vu hitting Reina from her earlier conversation with Hiroto and she shook her head, a genuine smile on her lips. “I can kind of see why they may have thought that,” Tamaki mentioned, in defense of the newspaper club, but the twins narrowed their eyes at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And good to know she doesn’t mind the potential idea of photos of us being spread around the school, no matter how little amount of customers the school newspaper has,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki beamed to himself, basically ignoring the twin’s next words in his own satisfaction over the situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, they were just being awful,” Kaoru defended with a head shake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just like every other issue of the newspaper,” Hikaru added, looking up at Tamaki, who definitely didn’t catch anything they had just said, a dreamy look on his face as he clutched the newspaper to his chest. Tamaki still was in his own mind, so each twin sent a little look to Reina who just shrugged in return, watching as Tamaki’s grin grew larger and he pulled the paper even closer into himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, at least I have these amazing photos of Reina and I,” Tamaki mumbled to himself, though the other three heard him loud and clear. “And she’s not upset, which is a good sign!” He continued. Reina looked over at the twins, eyebrows furrowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does he think we can’t hear him?” She asked them quietly, getting stifled snickers from the twins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Probably,” Hikaru confirmed, making Reina giggle just a bit as she peeked over at Tamaki, who was now swaying softly with closed eyes and a large beam. </span><em><span>I think I need to </span></em><b><em>thank</em></b><em><span> the newspaper club! Now anyone who doesn’t know that Reina and I are an item may hear it through the grapevine after this. And now, I have these photos I can show our children - My children? No, our children, </span></em><span>he excitedly thought to himself.</span> <span>Hikaru glanced up when Kyoya walked through the  “Hey Kyoya, Kaoru and I were looking at the schedule and we noticed that nobody has a ton of guests today. We don’t even have the second batch, just the first set of guests. What’s up, are we going out of business?” He asked. Kyoya didn’t look at any of them as he made his way back to the table and sat back down in front of his laptop. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could just be thankful for the easy Friday I’ve given you. I decided that we may have reason to leave the club early today, but I’ll be sure to double book you next Friday to compensate for the guests you lacked this week,” he retorted simply, which made both twins shut their mouths tightly in fear of getting overworked for the entirety of the next week, though they each exchanged a glance regarding the comment about a reason to leave early, a comment that Reina didn’t pick up on as she admiringly watched Tamaki continue on in his trance. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That, and I had already anticipated the idea that there may be some issues with my secret plan, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself with just a twinge of satisfaction. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anticipated - and hoped, just a bit. Weird how things tend to work out for me that way.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Reina, I know you said you wouldn’t be here long, but you’re more than welcome to stay. I’m sure there are more than enough people here willing to steal you away from Tamaki for the afternoon. If you don’t find that intriguing, I have no scheduled guests today and would be happy to sit with you as you finish your homework,” Kyoya added, finally looking up from his computer and sending an innocent smile to Reina, with a slight head tilt and all. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to think of a rebuttal, but after a moment of thought, gave a short nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s sort of weird, but I guess I was just going to go home and wait for Tamaki to finish up here anyway, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina realized to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Plus, maybe this really does mean that Kyoya likes me more if he’s asking me to stay.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki had been pulled out of his dreamy state once Kyoya said Reina’s name, and was now grimacing about the comment about another host stealing her away from him. The irritated blonde opened his mouth to offer his hosting abilities to her for the afternoon, but before he could speak, Honey appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Reina’s hand, dragging her towards his own hosting station. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to be the one to steal you from Tama-Chan! But only for the afternoon, ‘kay?” He announced, giving Reina a doteful simper as Mori trailed after them, giving a little nod to the group as his greeting while he passed by. Tamaki scowled, but after deciding he liked the idea of her with Mori and Honey much more than the idea of her potentially spending her afternoon with Hikaru and Kaoru, decided to let it go. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s Friday, meaning she’ll come home with me anyway. I can host her all weekend.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina had started her session talking with both Honey and Mori, finally giving in and taking a slice of cake after Honey had insisted twenty times. By the time the girls started to file into the room, more of them took seats on Honey’s side of the table, so Reina dove into a conversation about theatre with Mori, knowing it was one of their common grounds and talked with him for the majority of the afternoon - though, at first glance, it might have looked like she was hosting him as opposed to the other way around. As the hosting sessions ended, the majority of the girls left as quickly as they came, aside from a lingering few such as Reina and another two who were keeping Tamaki too preoccupied to check the time. Kyoya glanced down at his phone as a call came through and he abruptly stood, leaving his table to walk out the double doors. Mori was the only one to notice, and he furrowed his eyebrows in the direction of the doors in the middle of Reina’s sentence, which made her stop that current conversation altogether. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there something wrong?” She asked, glancing back to see the doors, though nothing seemed out of the ordinary from her view, so she looked back at Mori who just shook his head a little. Reina did another quick scan of the room. “Did Kyoya walk out?” She asked, now noticing his absence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mori said softly. Honey perked up in the chair that he was in, a clear confusion scattered across his entire face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s weird, he normally says goodbye before he leaves,” Honey noted, then peeked around Reina, his face relaxing back down to his sweet smile. “Wait, his stuff is still here. So he must not have left for the day!” He concluded with a grin sent specifically Reina’s way, then pushed the fork into his mouth once more, finishing off the remainder of the cake that had been on his plate. “Thank you for staying with us, Rei-Chan, I know you like to go home early but I hope you had fun!” He beamed pushing the plate further from himself to notify that he was done with sweets for now, despite it being a typical occurrence for him to partake in an extra slice even after the guests had all left. Reina gave a smile as she stood and started to clear off the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did, thank you for inviting me - or dragging me - over here,” she responded teasingly, a little giggle coming out of Honey’s mouth. As Reina gathered up all of the dishes, Mori swiftly stood and took them from her hands with a little smile, then headed off towards the kitchenette they had to drop them in. The twins bounded over to Reina and gave her little grins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We forgot to tell you, but mom wants to meet you,” Hikaru said with a little nudge to Reina’s arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She wanted us to apologize for not meeting with you sooner, she’s just been so busy preparing for the summer collection to come out,” Kaoru added, getting an agreeing nod from Hikaru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming to just meet with the beautiful girl in the pictures, right?” Reina teased, and each of the twins gave a single nod, their grins widening. “I was just joking. Is that really it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that and she wants to dress you up. It’s one of her favorite things, and she much prefers dressing girls,” Kaoru mentioned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should see the pictures of us as kids. I think she put us in dresses more than she put us in boy’s clothes,” Hikaru grimaced, but Kaoru let out his own little chuckle at the memory. “I think she also wants to offer you a job.” Reina blinked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A job?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, a modeling job. You did great on the first two jobs, and she still needs to pay you for those anyway,” Kaoru said absentmindedly. “We kept saying we could bring you the check, but she wants to meet with you anyway so told us she would give you the money herself. She does that with all of her models, but none of the models have ever been our friends. I guess we just didn’t expect the same protocol.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pay me?” Reina asked, glancing between the two of them with furrowed eyebrows. “I thought I was just being helpful, she doesn’t need to pay me anything. Are the photos even being used?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if she wants to hire you, I’m sure they’re using the pictures,” they shrugged together. “Even if they aren’t being used, you spent time helping, so you deserve your money.” Reina seemed to take a moment to think about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t even think I was allowed to have a job while at Ouran,” she reminded them, and they shrugged once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can, you just have to get permission,” Hikaru said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And since we go to school here, I doubt they’re going to deny our mom,” Kaoru pointed out, finally getting a little nod from the apprehensive girl. “What about tomorrow?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki and I actually have a double date tomorrow,” Reina said, glancing over at Tamaki who looked like he was finally beginning to usher his guests out. “Can we plan for a weekday? Sometime next week?” They each gave a little nod. Reina glanced around to see where Haruhi was before turning to Hikaru, dropping her voice to almost a whisper. “Have you brought Haruhi on that date yet?” She asked, and he gave a little scoff, which was an obvious no. “Why don’t you do that? Get out and have some fun. Celebrate that she stayed at Ouran!” Reina said, nudging him in the arm just as he had done previously to her, but that didn’t seem to get too much enthusiasm out of the agitated twin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll think about it. I just don’t want to leave Kaoru alone to do nothing at home,” he admitted, though his voice still clearly held some annoyance over the conversation. Kaoru gave a little frown in his direction, his eyes soft. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind, Hikaru, really,” Kaoru said genuinely, though it didn’t seem to change Hikaru’s mind. Reina and Kaoru shared a glance with one another, silently deciding they would figure something out together. The double doors opened once more as Tamaki’s lingering guests finally left, and with that, the hosts all took a little breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Another week of hard work, good job everyone!” Tamaki announced, making Reina smile softly at the sweet gesture. “Hey, where’s Kyoya?” He asked, looking around. Just as the words came out of his mouth, the doors pushed open again, but much more aggressively than Kyoya ever would. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reeeeiiinaaaaa!” A girl’s voice called, making Reina turn to the doors with furrowed eyebrows. In the doorway next to Kyoya stood a tall, lanky girl with honey brown hair and seafoam green eyes, but a big grin was plastered across her face as she bolted across the room, engulfing Reina in a huge hug and spinning her around. When the girl pulled back, everyone could see Reina’s stunned expression as she stood almost lifeless, just staring up at the girl still holding her. “Aren’t you going to talk?” The girl asked. She was speaking Japanese, but everyone could tell she was fairly new at the language. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What the fuck?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina finally asked in French, blinking a few times, not noticing as the girl slumped over in a bit of a pout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, speak in Japanese, I’m trying to practice,” she whined, then spun Reina around a few more times. “Aren’t you excited that I’m here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see you,” Reina said slowly, holding onto the girl’s arms as she got a grin sent back to her. “But, I have a lot of questions,” she said, eyes darting over to the innocent looking Kyoya. “Such as how you know I was here. I’m hardly here after school,” she said dully. Reina clearly already knew the answer, but she was just sort of hoping to be wrong. The girl still holding her began to pout once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t answer my questions! Luckily your friend had called me around the time that you first started here - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kyoya,” Reina, Haruhi, and the twins all said in a reprimanding tone, eyes fixated on him as he pushed his glasses up with a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If Reina isn’t going to partake in conversation, then someone may as well do it. After all, a sister should have inside knowledge on all of her siblings,” he mentioned, nodding over to the girl who sent him a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just as cute as he is smart,” the girl complimented, keeping the grin on her face as she turned to Reina, who was still glaring at Kyoya. “Introduce me to your friends!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I literally thought you were joking," Reina said, avoiding the girl's request. "You actually thought it was ironic that I saw you on the phone - </span>
  <em>
    <span>twice</span>
  </em>
  <span>? So you were talking to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> last week? What the hell?" She asked, still glaring at Kyoya, as unphased as he was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why would I be joking? I believe that was just a bad assumption that you made, I don't believe you can blame me for that," Kyoya informed her casually. Reina bit the inside of her cheek, unable to even process the situation unfolding around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Introduce us, Reina," the girls and the twins all chimed in unison, breaking her from her annoyed trance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, bye guys, thanks for hosting, thanks </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>much, Kyoya. We’re leaving, see you Monday,” Reina said simply, giving everyone a little wave as she grabbed onto the pouting girl’s hand, tugging her towards the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop Rei, I wanna stay and meet them!” She whined. The twins swiftly intercepted by rushing over and lifting Reina up by her arms, then turning her back towards the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What Kyoya did was wrong, but since she’s already here, you might as well stay and tell us what's up,” they rationalized for their own benefit, carrying Reina towards the new little huddle the club had created, despite her kicking protests. Haruhi was beginning to fight in Reina's defense, but the arguments fell on deaf ears as Kyoya clearly didn't care, and everyone else was way too invested to let Reina leave as she wanted to. Honey was the first to rush over, introducing himself enthusiastically to the girl. Tamaki made his way over to her, holding his hand out for her and giving hers a little kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you must be Reina’s sister Chloe, then. Reina has told me about you,” he said charmingly, also deciding to ignore as the twins tried to get Reina to stop kicking before putting her back down onto her feet. Chloe gave a big grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes I am! I’m glad to know you guys know about me. I know very little about any of you because Reina is so secretive over text,” Chloe said with yet another pout sent over in Reina’s way. Just as the twin’s set her down, her mouth dropped a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s the same damn thing Connor said to me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Luckily Kyoya has filled me in on a little bit,” Chloe added, sending a little grin over to Kyoya, who returned it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why does everyone keep saying that?” She asked herself, and the twins smirked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably because you are, if everyone says it,” they said with a shrug, getting a quick glare from the irritated redhead in the middle of them. She turned around with plans to leave, but each twin took hold of one of her arms, keeping her in place as the rest of the hosts introduced themselves to Chloe. After introductions came and went, Reina tried again to make a peaceful exit once more, only to be physically sat down by the twins. Tamaki took a seat next to Reina and wrapped his arm around her to keep the quietly fuming girl in place as the twins stood behind to ensure she wouldn’t make a break for it. Everyone else took seats in miscellaneous spots, filling up the two couches easily. Reina and Tamaki sat directly across from Chloe, who was beaming around at everyone, but mostly at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, I guess I’m a little confused,” Haruhi finally spoke, looking between Chloe and Reina, eyebrows furrowed. “You guys are… sisters? I thought Reina only had younger siblings.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Believe it or not, I am younger by a year! Reina’s just short,” Chloe teased, but Haruhi didn’t seem to have her question answered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not actual sisters, I lived with her family, so we were previously host sisters,” Reina explained more thoroughly, getting an understanding nod from Haruhi, though Chloe pouted again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like that phrase though, nobody in our family does. Reina is just family,” Chloe added, before turning back to Reina, eyes narrowed. “And what do you mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>previously</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I hope I simply translated that wrong, we’ll always be sisters,” Chloe nearly yelled, folding her arms together. Reina opened her mouth to clarify, but Chloe continued anyway. “Mom misses you, by the way. You really should call more often,” she reprimanded, making Reina slouch into the couch. Reina tried once again to speak, but to no avail, just as she should have expected. “She worries a lot, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well luckily, she doesn’t need to worry, Reina is in good hands here,” Tamaki assured, getting an apprehensive look from Chloe before she turned back to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, she looks better, so I would say that it at least seems like it. When we saw her last year, she looked dead. Her eyes were all sunken in and her ribs - blech! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Awful,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Chloe said the last word in French accompanied by a shudder. Reina bit the inside of her cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s so sweet of you, really, you’re so kind. How long are you going to stay, by the way?” Reina asked, her voice flat, ignoring the looks of curiosity being shot in her direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For the weekend,” Chloe clarified, getting a little nod from Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of your mom, I’m surprised they let you travel alone. We couldn’t even walk to the grocery store without another sibling,” Reina mentioned, watching as Chloe’s face went pale. “Chloe?” She asked, immediately picking up the pieces. When no response came, Reina stood with a sigh. “I’ll call her,” she said simply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was hoping you would say that!” She said, visibly relaxing. “She’ll be </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> less mad at me if you’re the one calling,” Chloe said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I used the money you sent me for my birthday, and I just had faith in the fact that you would handle the rest of it for me." Reina shook her head a bit with a loud huff, about to depart from the conversation, but not before she remembered something. She turned to Tamaki, who still had a concerned look on his face. “Our date tomorrow,” she said quietly, with plans to cancel, but then another thought came to her mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If Hikaru doesn’t want to leave Kaoru alone, then… </span>
  </em>
  <span>She turned to Kaoru, who seemed to have the same idea. “Would you mind?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all,” he said with a nod. Hikaru seemed to pick up on what was happening and bit the inside of his cheek, casting a glance over at Haruhi before turning away once more, his cheeks holding a hint of pink on them. Reina nodded in thanks as she headed over to the double doors. Before exiting, she turned back to the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, you should tell her about the host club to her while I’m gone,” she said with a forced smile before slipping out. Everyone heard what those words had actually meant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t talk about me, talk about something - anything - else.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It seemed like everyone in the room was in understanding that Reina’s plea would be cast aside as soon as those doors shut. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. XOXO Gossip Girl (51)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Hope you're all still enjoying! :D</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty One</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did you mean by Rei-Chan looking better than last year, Chloe?” Honey asked the moment the doors closed. Chloe sat still for a moment, her chipper demeanor reducing back to what they could only assume was her normal personality. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s had a really hard last two years,” Chloe admitted, not looking at any one of them in particular. “She just looked rough the last time I saw her in person is all. I’m glad she looks better.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but how does she look better?” Tamaki asked, scooting forward in his seat as one of his legs began to subconsciously bounce. “What was wrong? She told me she caused some trouble, but that’s it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, she just looks much healthy,” Chloe reiterated with a shrug. His next question took a moment of thought on her part as she tried to think through everything that she did and didn’t want to say. “When she moved back in with us, she was going to a therapist. But it was one of those shitty, rich therapists that didn’t care about helping her and kind of just pushed drugs on her. She couldn’t sleep after everything, so they put her on some sleeping pill. That made her sleep at night, but also had her sleeping through class. She was… </span>
  <em>
    <span>foggy?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She said, looking around to see if anyone knew French, not being able to find the Japanese word for it. Tamaki swiftly translated and Chloe gave a quick nod before continuing. “Right. She was sleeping fine, but she wasn’t there. So they switched her to some antidepressant. She was there, but… sad. Like it made her worse somehow. So they switched her back to the first one, and then added in some </span>
  <em>
    <span>anxiety upper,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she said, looking at Tamaki who made the translation again. “That worked, but my mom started to notice she wasn’t taking them regularly. She wouldn’t take them through the week, she would just be drowsy all week, and then would be really happy throughout the weekend - she would just take all of the uppers then. My mom started to regulate her pills, giving them to her each day and kept the bottle in their room,” Chloe said, and everyone exchanged a glance, all of them thinking the same thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So it seems to be an inherited trait,” Kyoya mentioned coolly. Chloe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but didn’t care too much to ask for any sort of elaboration. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This explains a lot about her feelings about his situation,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought to himself based on their conversations about Connor’s prior issues. Kaoru furrowed his own eyebrows as he thought over everything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, she’s always been in some kind of trouble,” he noted, and Chloe’s frowned back at him, though it was a soft kind of rebuke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yes and no. She’s been sneaky ever since I knew her, and would do occasional bad things. But I don’t consider trauma and addiction to be really troublesome behaviors - at least, not on purpose. None of my family did, we all tried to understand her as much as we could. Ultimately, she wasn’t hurting anyone but herself, she was just trying to feel better, even if it was the wrong way to do it. She couldn’t really help that,” Chloe defended, which made Kaoru dramatically soften as he gave a nod. “But by that time my mom noticed Reina’s somewhat addictive tendencies, she was going to be leaving,” Chloe said, a sad smile sitting on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you say leaving, I’m right to assume that was when she was moving to The Netherlands, right?” Kyoya asked, and Chloe gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. She didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> any of those pills. I don’t think she was depressed and she never had anxiety. She may have had insomnia, but I still think the therapist actually talking to her would have been better than just sticking the pills on her. When she did move, we were worried about her, so me, my mom and my sister drove up to see her one weekend. She had only been out there for two or three months but she looked awful. Beyond awful, actually. I can’t even imagine how she would have been had we not warned her that we were coming. She was so - </span>
  <em>
    <span>neurotic,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She explained, looking over at Tamaki for the translation, but caught one of the saddest looks she had ever seen in a man. One of his hands was clutching his heart, his eyes filled with tears threatening to fall. He translated, but even his voice was sad. Chloe debated whether or not to continue, but after taking a quick glance at the faces around her filled with worry, she concluded she probably would have to. “She just wasn’t right. She didn’t look right, she wasn’t acting right. It was probably the pills, but I always worried it might have been something worse. I know she smoked out there, but it definitely wasn’t that, she never acted that way when we smoked together. I tried to drag her back home, but apparently that’s kidnapping or something, so I couldn’t,” she said with an annoyed eye roll as she recalled her mother’s logical thinking over the situation. The twins looked over at each other, a singular eyebrow cocked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She kind of reminds me of someone,” they mused together, glancing down at Tamaki, but he couldn’t be any less interested in what they had to say. His attention was firmly set on Chloe, who didn’t seem to notice their comment either. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “My mom was in contact with her da - uncle - someone, not sure, anyway,” she said quickly, biting the inside of her cheek briefly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Connor?” Mori asked, interrupting her train of thought, and she looked up at him in surprise. “We know.” Chloe blinked but then gave a little nod, glancing down at her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a little surprising. She didn’t even really tell me, my mom let it slip. I understand, stupid rich people shit - no offense,” she added quickly, a mournful look slowly spreading across her face as she thought about Mori’s confession further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we technically found out on accident,” Haruhi swiftly defended as she took notice of the hurt that Chloe must have been feeling. “She didn’t really want to tell us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She told me that she was going to tell me, though,” Tamaki chimed in, just a little bit of pride popping through, though the majority of him remained sad about what Chloe had just informed them. A few glares were shot in his direction, and both Hikaru and Kaoru gave him a flick to each of his eyes, but Chloe just watched him curiously as he rubbed each of his ears, clearly confused about why anyone was upset with him. After a moment, she shook her head and continued on with what she had been saying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “So my mom called him. He was… well, I don’t know. Upset, I would think. I didn’t hear the phone call. But as soon as we left there, he was already on a plane to go see her. She didn’t answer any of our calls for a few days, we all thought she was mad at us. But she eventually answered. To this day, I still don’t know what exactly happened. She may have been mad and ignoring us, or she may have been detoxing somewhere. We don’t know, she didn’t want to talk about it. Never has. It seemed like she was doing better once they took away the prescription for her medication, at least from what we could tell. I’m just glad it seems like she’s doing better out here. Still, I won’t have to worry about it for much longer, I’ll get to keep a close eye on her soon enough,” she grinned. Tamaki’s breath hitched in his throat, already anticipating some bad news to be thrown his way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, are you moving out here or something?” Hikaru asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would make sense with why you’re learning Japanese! Are you coming to Ouran, Chloe-Chan?” Honey asked with a grin, but Chloe simply shook her head, her grin still intact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I mean, initially I wanted to join the program when I met Reina, but - nevermind, anyway. I just know she’ll be coming back home once she turns eighteen,” Chloe said smugly. Everyone in the room stilled and took a peek over at the distraught blonde, who looked like he was about to disintegrate on the spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Has this arrangement already been discussed?” Kyoya asked first, trying to calm any nerves that may have been arising, but Tamaki didn’t hesitate to begin his panic attack as Chloe’s statement finally hit him. His hand flew back to his heart and he slumped against the couch, ready to fall into a sea of depression. However, he wasn’t the only one in the room to show some form of disappointment. Chloe’s shoulders sunk a little as her smile grew a little sad, though her eyes held the same hope that they had previously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, sort of. We always mention her coming back and remind her that she’s more than welcome back into the house as soon as she’s able. She’s always said she would keep that in mind and appreciates it and everything, plus she says she’ll come visit a lot. But I just know, in my heart, that she knows that being with her </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> family is what’s best for her. Maybe not right at eighteen, but she’ll live with us again,” Chloe concluded with a little nod. Little breaths of relief left a few host’s mouths, everyone seeming to calm a little bit at the revelation of this just being wishful thinking on Chloe’s part, but Tamaki still seemed on edge as he sat back up out of his slouched position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s doing good out here. I mean - more than good. She's doing perfect out here. I think this is the best place for her,” he shouted out quickly, giving a nervous little laugh, but his hand never left his heart. “The safest place is with me.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Competition. Someone else who wants Reina to themselves. I know they knew her first, but I can keep her safe. They weren’t able to,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he selfishly thought to himself. Chloe eyed him, noting that this was the same boy that had his arm around Reina, and who Kyoya had informed her was the closest to Reina, so she tucked that thought away for later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she can always do better,” Chloe said almost instantly, mostly wanting to see the reaction she could get out of Tamaki. Her words flew at him like an arrow and he visibly reacted to them, his eyes widening and jaw dropping slightly as he fell back into the couch dramatically. His hand above his heart clutched even tighter and he bit onto his cheek for a brief moment before speaking again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll just have to see what happens when she turns eighteen,” Tamaki retorted through clenched teeth, and Chloe raised an eyebrow, studying him for just a moment before crossing her legs and sitting back in her seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we will,” she said flatly, giving a little nod to Tamaki, as they each narrowed their eyes at one another. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Game on,</span>
  </em>
  <span> they both thought simultaneously. Kaoru had to suppress a little laugh, realizing he would probably be graced with more humorous moments like these during their triple date.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t she just stay with you and your family instead of moving in the first place?” Hikaru asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the couch just a bit, looking directly at Chloe, who he assumed was the only one that had the answers for him. Kaoru and Tamaki both stiffened - they were the only ones in the room that had any inkling of anything regarding her home life and the situation. Chloe grimaced, biting the inside of her cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Her fucked up family -” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She started to rant in French, then shot her attention back to Tamaki. “Sorry. Don’t translate that. Anyway, we couldn’t. Her parents insisted on moving her like they planned to, no matter what. We tried, trust me. My parents made all sorts of calls, claiming she wasn’t stable enough to be uprooted at the time, but nobody listened. And I mean nobody,” she said bitterly, but shook it away. “The best we could do is just be a phone call or text away. She knows that if she ever needs it, we’d fly her home instantly.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t help but notice,” Haruhi started cautiously. “You said she couldn’t sleep after everything. What’s ‘everything’, exactly?” She asked, trying to run through the whole conversation in her head once more, glancing up at the ceiling as she did so. “I don’t think I missed that part,” she mumbled to herself softly. Chloe blinked in response, trying to think her answers out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need information, but I can’t swap this one out,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chloe rationalized. She glanced over at Tamaki, who seemed particularly on edge while waiting for the response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think if anyone is going to know the information I need, it’s probably going to be him, especially if Reina actually was going to tell him about Connor. I don’t need to tell this whole group. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That, I’m not too sure of. You’d have to ask Reina - but actually don’t, because I wasn’t really supposed to tell you anything. Guess we’ll never know,” Chloe said with a little laugh, looking up as Reina reappeared through the doors, phone at her side. “Like I was saying, I wish my school France had a club like this. I would love to hang out with a bunch of cute boys after school, it’s such a cool idea. Good job, Tamaki,” Chloe said with a giggle, her bubbly charade popping up once more. Everyone wondered how she knew about the host club, but slowly each person realized that Kyoya must have clued her in on it during one of their phone calls. Reina took her seat back next to Tamaki, not noticing as he held onto her much tighter than he had before she left the room initially. “My dear sister is back, meaning we can morally talk about her now! Tell me, has she been in much trouble since arriving here?” The twins exchanged a glance, knowing how to make Reina laugh, even if just a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s always in trouble,” Hikaru mused, ignoring the look Reina cast behind her shoulder at him. Kaoru retrieved one of the school newspapers from the large pile Reina had stolen, tossing it over to Chloe who caught it flawlessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take a look at that - that’s one of many!” Kaoru called out, getting a scoff from Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One of many guys, or one of many incidents?” Chloe asked with a little giggle, glancing up at the fuming Tamaki, then darting her eyes back down which remained glued on the newspaper, a single eyebrow raised as she put the pieces all together now seeing the pictures of him and Reina together. Tamaki’s eyes widened and he glanced down at Reina to gauge her reaction, but she was just watching between the twins and Chloe with somewhat an amused smile on her face, so he relaxed and pulled her even closer to himself in his grasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Both!” The twins mused together, getting another giggle out of Chloe, but this time Tamaki was unable to hold himself back. He jumped up, letting go of his tight grip on Reina in the process and turned to the twins, his finger waving in their faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two take that back right now! You both know that isn’t true!” He yelled, and the twins leaned against each other, shrugging the opposite shoulder dramatically, clearly acting blasé towards the second year who looked like he was ready to rip them to shreds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” they sang together, making Tamaki even angrier. Kyoya held his hand out for the newspaper as Chloe finished her skimming, and he looked through it briefly before looking back up at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you didn’t show this to me when you showed up here initially, especially considering we had a few free moments alone,” he mentioned, and Reina narrowed her eyes at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you didn’t tell me the reason you asked me to stay here was because you invited my sister here. Or that you didn’t tell me she called you last week. Or that you were in contact with her in the first place,” she shot back, crossing her arms and sitting back against the couch. Haruhi found particular amusement in that, letting out a loud laugh as she looked over at Kyoya’s statue-esque expression. Kyoya studied her for a moment before glancing back down, pushing his glasses up and giving a small smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Touche,” he concluded, then turned to Chloe. “This tabloid of a newspaper isn’t anything to trust. Nobody here does, I wouldn’t base Reina’s behavior here on this expose. Though, I do wish I would have been made aware of it considering our club president is parading the front page, no matter how little readers the paper has,” he confided genuinely, getting a little nod from Chloe, who gave another giggle shortly after. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“I think I want the story on this,” Chloe said, then looking up at Tamaki in specific. Tamaki turned away from the twins, who had still been teasing him and Reina, and his face turned a bright red. She looked back down at the paper. “My Japanese isn’t great in reading, so maybe I’m getting this wrong. Does this part actually say </span><em><span>‘I don’t have a picture, but you’ll have to trust me when I say, they shared a kiss backstage.’</span></em><span>?</span> <span>There’s no way the writing on this was that bad, right?” Chloe asked, now furrowing her eyebrows as she started to skim through the rest of the pages. Haruhi blinked and reached forward, grabbing onto the newspaper and deciding to look for herself. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s definitely that bad,” Reina said with a little laugh, turning to Haruhi who had finally gotten to the part in question, her eyes widening a bit in surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No wonder I’ve never heard of the school newspaper,” Haruhi grumbled softly, returning to paper to Chloe who sat it down on the table in front of herself, only to be picked by Mori as he began to read it while Honey peeked over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” they each said together, eyes fixated on the words in front of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you two look so cute!” Honey added shortly after, shooting a grin in the couple’s direction. Honey’s declaration distracted Tamaki for a moment as he smoothed some of his hair back and cast a glance down at Reina, giving her a teasing wink and receiving a slightly stifled giggle in return.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So? Did you two actually kiss, then?” Chloe asked coolly, resting her chin in her palm. Chloe’s question interrupted his short lived bliss, and Tamaki blushed up again as his attention was sent back over to the curious Chloe. He swallowed before looking over at Reina for her response, but Reina seemed to be deep in thought. After a moment, Reina glanced up at Tamaki and gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We might have, I can’t even remember,” Reina nonchalantly admitted, which made Tamaki’s face burn even brighter. “Probably.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We did,” He finally confirmed, then turned to Chloe. “But the rest of it isn’t true, I promise.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t need to give her any reasons to dislike Reina being in Japan.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I wouldn’t have been too surprised if the article had been real, Reina is </span>
  <em>
    <span>such</span>
  </em>
  <span> a troublemaker,” she admitted teasingly, getting all attention in the room back on her, including the bickering three who stopped in their places to turn to Chloe. “Rei, you remember - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t remember anything,” Reina said simply, checking the time. “We should go, I think,” she said, standing, but Hikaru and Kaoru placed their hands on her shoulders and sat her back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, we want to hear more,” they whined together. Tamaki swallowed again, not too sure what sort of stories to expect, but decided to take a seat next to Reina once more anyway. This time, without a second though, both of his arms instinctively made their way around her body and he tugged her as close as he comfortably could. Although she still seemed sort of annoyed, she rested her head against his side, which made him ease back into the seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina was always causing trouble. It was never anything major, just enough to keep everyone on their toes. One night, she snuck out to hang out with her friends, which made me upset because I wanted to watch movies. So I was moping all around the house. I guess I probably should have realized that when my parents saw me upset, they immediately were going to go and find Reina to ask if she knew why - so, I accidentally told on her. Instead of calling her themselves, they made me call her myself to find out when she would be home, and she told me she would be home really soon. My parents thought it would be funny to scare her, so they both climbed up onto her top bunk and made me act normal. She was drunk when she came in,” Chloe explained, getting a quick grimace from Reina as a few host club members peered over at her, but Chloe continued on anyway. “So she didn’t even notice until she was already climbing into the bed that they were in there. I don’t think I ever heard her scream so loud,” Chloe finished with a short laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know Reina was so easily startled, I’ll have to make a note of it,” Kyoya mused, casting a glance over at Reina, who still hadn’t quite warmed up to him since Chloe had gotten there. Reina returned the look, and after a short moment, rolled her eyes with a short smile, though it melted away after a second as she tried to remind herself that she was supposed to be mad at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does it count if she’s drunk?” Haruhi pointed out, frowning just a bit at the idea of such a young kid being intoxicated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it does. Boss, you should try to scare her the next time you get drunk together,” Hikaru responded loosely to Haruhi while shooting a smirk down at Tamaki. As two scolding looks were sent Tamaki’s way - one serious one from Haruhi, and a slightly teasing one from Chloe - he pulled Reina even closer to himself and tried to hide his face behind her hair to escape the eyes boring into him - </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> Haruhi’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you’re going to get my sister drunk, all you should be doing is scaring her innocently,” Chloe mentioned as casually as she could, just barely missing Reina’s short glare. “It was really funny! All I’m saying is that scaring you like that would be the best usage of time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sure it was funny. You missed the part where I fell off the stupid ladder,” Reina finally added, a little smile coming to her face as she thought about it. “But you also missed the part where we had to switch beds so they could see if I was in my bed from the doorway. You thought you had more freedom because of it, so literally the next night you snuck out and your mom came in for bed checks,” she elaborated, everyone watching as Chloe’s face grew red. “And so they did the exact same thing to you, and you somehow didn’t expect it - even when they made me call you with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>exact same script</span>
  </em>
  <span> you had called me with the night before - and also fell off the ladder,” Reina laughed, finally relaxing a bit in the uncomfortable situation as everyone around her let out their own laughs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Chloe mumbled, crossing her arms and looking away from Reina, who only laughed harder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Somehow, that still seems like a Tamaki thing to do,” Kaoru mumbled to Hikaru, who nodded in agreement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you can’t really call Reina trouble if you also snuck out,” Tamaki pointed out in defense of the girl enfolded between his arms, which made both the girls turn to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“True, but I don’t even think that sneaking out is really all that much trouble. I mean, every kid sneaks out,” Reina pointed out, getting some furrowed eyebrows in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not everyone,” Haruhi said as she shook her head just a tad at the insinuation, even if it wasn’t directed solely at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never snuck out,” Honey declared proudly. Mori, however, stayed quiet on this particular matter, deciding to stay out of it completely as he had some of his own tales to tell surrounding the debate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve never needed to,” the twins rationalized together with a shrug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But we would have gotten in more trouble than just a jump scare if we had,” Kaoru pointed out immediately after their previous statement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, then maybe I was wrong,” Reina said softly, letting out a little giggle as she shrugged. “Oops,” she added, though everyone could tell that there was no hint of regret in her voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t believe that you actually answered why it is that you know Japanese, Miss LaRue,” Kyoya mentioned, which made everyone turn to him in somewhat surprise. “You’ve seemed to have picked up on it fairly well. When did you start to learn?” He followed up with, nothing but curiosity ringing in his question. Chloe gave him a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I started whenever I went to go visit Reina in Holland this one time,” she said, easily keeping up with the ploy that none of them had talked about it in Reina’s absence. “I didn’t know Dutch, and I wish I would have been able to gauge her friend group a little better without needing translations for every sentence - which was basically impossible at the time,” Chloe mumbled the last part to herself, looking over at Reina who glanced away from her gaze. “Plus, it’s never harmful to know an extra language or two. I will say, I was super relieved to hear she didn’t have any language electives this year, which meant I didn’t need to tack on another language class,” Chloe admitted. Kyoya gave her a soft nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what do you think of us so far?” Honey beamed. Chloe looked over at Honey, giving him a little smile before looking around at the group, her eyes lingering on Tamaki for a moment extra than she had looked at the others. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a much better first impression. Reina, good job picking out friends this year, you sucked at that last year,” Chloe shot at Reina, who once again tried to stand up to leave, only to be pushed back down by the twins. Chloe couldn’t help but gaze upon the group with a barely visible beam as she watched the interaction. The twins kept her on the couch by keeping one of each of their hands on her shoulders, as Tamaki quietly pulled her closer and began to whisper encouraging words to her in an attempt to calm her down from the annoyance that had sprang back up with Chloe’s comment. Honey was telling Reina that a piece of cake could make her feel much better as Mori stood from the couches in order to go and grab the group some sweets, helping both Honey in his mission as well as hoping to help Reina feel better. Kyoya noticed that he had a moment to spare, so he spilled the notebook out from behind him and had begun to write down notes vigorously, but Chloe caught as he took a few glances up at Tamaki and Reina, a small smile accompanying his short gaze. Chloe’s eyes turned to Haruhi, who wasn’t particularly interacting, but was giving the group the same admiring look that Chloe could only imagine was also plastered across her own face. For a moment, Chloe and Haruhi’s gazes met, and they each grinned before turning back to the group. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>much</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> better first impression. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina had finally been able to divert the conversation back to the host club, Ouran, and just Japan in general as soon as plates of cake started to get passed around. Tamaki was excited to tell Chloe about some of the fun events put on by the host club - including the beach trip. To Reina’s surprise, everyone seemed in agreement that they weren’t mentioning the incident that took place on the trip, which made her feel an even deeper appreciation for the group.  She finally found a short dip in conversation where she could finally convince everyone it was a good time for her and Chloe to head back to the Higurashi residence to inform Sora about her arrival, since it seemed that Chloe and Kyoya hadn’t thought of that part of it all yet. Chloe made her around to say goodbye to everyone as Reina pulled the twins to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kaoru, Hiroto said seven worked. Does that work for you?” She asked, and Kaoru gave a determined nod as he tried to suppress the wide grin threatening to escape. The two turned their attention to Hikaru, who was currently loosening his tie in an attempt to avoid the upcoming plan. “Kaoru now has plans for tomorrow, meaning you wouldn’t be leaving him alone. Your turn.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t even think of anything for us to do,” Hikaru admitted as an annoyed scowl fell onto his face. Kaoru gave a little shrug as he crossed his arms, then cast a look over at Reina who also seemed uninterested in the excuse that Hikaru had to offer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have more than 24 hours to figure it out. You’d better go ask her before she leaves,” Kaoru mentioned, motioning over to Haruhi who was currently swinging her bag over her shoulder in preparation to depart. Hikaru gave a defeated sigh, and as he realized that there was no way out of the situation that he had created for himself, he hesitantly made his way over to Haruhi. Reina glanced up at Kaoru, her eyebrows raised just a tad, as she wasn’t actually sure if Hikaru was going to go through with it. “I don’t think she’ll say no.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so either,” Reina smiled. “Thank you again. I’ll pay for whatever we’re doing tomorrow for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it. It’s helping me out, too,” he reminded her, then turned to watch as Chloe interrupted Hikaru’s flustered stutters to say goodbye to them. “Can I ask you a question?” He asked, taking a peek over at Reina, who nodded softly. “Why did you seem much more on edge about Chloe meeting us then you did when we met Connor?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you guys didn’t get to see my short meltdown on that trip,” Reina reminded gently. “Connor tried to get my attention onto teasing Tamaki, as opposed thinking about what was going to happen. But you guys just wanted to talk to her, leaving me nothing to hyperfixate on,” she rationalized, laughing just a little bit at that revelation. She thought back to the last time she had seen Chloe in person, which was in Holland, and she frowned gently at the memory and how intensely worried Chloe had been - and how she had directed a lot of her frustration and anger towards Reina’s friends. “The only thing I could fixate on is what she was going to say. She can be mean sometimes, and aside from that, I know how much of a gossip Chloe is. The whole time I was on the phone, I was worried about what she was saying to you guys about me,” Reina coolly added, taking a peek back up at Kaoru, who was currently watching Chloe trail away from Hikaru and Haruhi and towards the couple. “Your silence isn’t very reassuring.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t say anything too crazy, just some stuff we can probably tease you about later,” Kaoru lied in a hushed voice, right before Chloe planted herself in front of the pair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I said bye to everyone, except - “ Chloe said, turning to Kaoru, who shook his head back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you again tomorrow,” Kaoru said as charmingly as he could, though his eyes kept darting over towards Hikaru and Haruhi, trying to read their lips and body language enough just to see how it was going. Chloe glanced to Reina, who nodded, so Chloe gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, then I’ll see you tomorrow. Reina, why don’t you invite your silly little fling thing of the year over tonight so I can get to know him better?” She asked, nodding her head to the side in Tamaki’s direction. Kaoru’s eyes were ripped away from his twin as he turned back to Chloe, more than astonished. Both Kaoru and Reina’s faces paled completely, their eyes widening and their mouths dropping. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, there’s another example about why Reina was worried to see Chloe here, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaoru thought to himself. Finally, Reina spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not funny,” she said simply, shaking her head as she looked over at Tamaki, who seemed to be patiently waiting for Reina to come talk to him - but behind his patient facade, he was really only giving it a few more minutes before he was going to push himself into the conversation. Both Kaoru and Chloe noticed how sad her eyes looked, though Kaoru couldn’t exactly pick up on why, until he peeked around to see a beaming and waving Tamaki. “Don’t say shit like that about him,” she added, and this time, her voice was much more piercing with the reproach. As Reina turned and left the duo without another word, Chloe watched her walk over to Tamaki and a small little smile slipped onto her face. Kaoru watched Chloe, still in a completely stunned state over her phrasing. Chloe finally looked back at him, and gave him a little innocent smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I used to say stuff kind of like that all the time, as a joke. She would be annoyed, but never got that upset. I figured as much, but I just wanted to be sure, and sometimes the only way to get anything out of her is to actually force a reaction out of her. They seem to like each other, huh?” She asked, her smile turning to a wide grin, eyes snapping shut and all. Kaoru blinked, still studying the girl in front of him, before a dumbstruck chuckle finally left his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’re less like Tamaki and more like Kyoya,” he realized, but dove into a brief conversation with Chloe about his theory about them already being in love.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She wants you to come over tonight,” Reina said as she approached Tamaki, who froze in response to her declaration. She realized that her words may have come across too cold as she may have been holding irritation from Chloe, so she tried to calm herself down by resting one of her hands against his chest and reminding herself that it was Tamaki she was now talking to. “Well, obviously I want you to as well. But she invited you - in case you were worried about intruding or anything,” she added, giving him a little smile. “But if you don’t want to, I would understand. It’s all a little - well, it’s a lot.” Tamaki finally gave her a beam, taking one of his fingers and lifted her chin up so he could give her a quick peck on the lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be there. Just call me when you’re ready for me,” he said quietly, his free hand pushing some of her hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if you picked up on it, but Kaoru is doing me a favor and coming with us tomorrow for the double, or now triple, date,” Reina explained. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows and glanced up, noticing Haruhi and Hikaru talking near the door. “They’re going on a date as well,” Reina clarified, almost watching the gears inside Tamaki’s head turn. He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. “He proved he could be good for her during the beach trip, right? Let them see if it’ll work,” Reina reminded him softly, reaching one hand up and grabbing hold of his wrist that was still keeping her chin pointed towards him, while her other hand remained pressed against his chest. Tamaki gave a slow nod, then looked back down at her, a smile finally appearing, though the vast majority of his agreeable features were forced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” he said quietly, giving her another peck before dropping his hands from her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even if I don’t like the idea of it, I won’t interfere, at least for now. A single date is fine. </span>
  </em>
  <span> “Let me know when I can come over. And don’t make me wait too long, I’ll miss you too much, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he mused, though his voice rang genuine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t dream of it, Mister Suoh,” she teased with a little grin, but his face fell drastically, just as her hand from his chest fell from it’s spot. “What?” She asked, glancing around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mister Suoh?” He asked, pausing for a moment as his puppy dog eyes slowly started to surface. “What happened to ‘baby’?” He asked quietly, now in full pouting mode. Reina watched him for a moment before a little giggle finally came through, her grin spread almost from ear to ear. She leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get you over as soon as I can, baby.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’re right,” Chloe finally said. She had denied Kaoru’s claims of Reina being in love, but after they had watched from the other side of the room, she felt it was much harder to deny the smile on Reina’s face wasn’t because of love. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am,” Kaoru said simply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s been so nice getting to know you,” Sora said with a grin, turning to Chloe as the staff came out with Reina and Sora’s normal after dinner beverages. “Do you prefer tea or coffee?” She asked, and Chloe seemed to think about it, before turning to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do coffee,” Reina answered before Chloe could even ask, so Chloe turned back around and gave a grin to Sora. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll do tea!” She decided easily, turning to the maid and giving her an even larger grin. “Thank you! I appreciate it!” Chloe enthusiastically said, which she had said every time a staff member came out to help them with something, not yet used to having help around. The staff member gave a quick nod before heading back out to retrieve Chloe’s tea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You even act like sisters, with picking the opposite of Reina and all,” Sora mused, though the bickering that the two girls had partaken in during the meal should have been enough proof. “Reina, I should bring my boys and their families over to meet you soon. They’re pretty busy, but I would love it if you could have a sibling relationship with them as well. I’m sure they all would adore you!” Sora mentioned with a wide set beam, not at all noticing Chloe’s scrunched nose at the mention of others having sibling type relationships with </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> sister. Reina, on the other hand, gave a nod of agreement accompanied by a smile, though it was much smaller than Sora’s was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love that, just let me know when,” Reina said with another nod. Sora began to stir honey in her tea with a little smirk crawling onto her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, yes, I know. I’ll need to schedule it between your dates - and nights - with Tamaki. Don’t worry, I’ll give you plenty of advanced notice,” Sora mused casually, which made Chloe cock an eyebrow over in Reina’s direction. Reina took a quick drink of her coffee, trying to avoid the upcoming conversation in any possible way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so you’re spending the nights with him? Why haven’t you told me anything about - oh!” Chloe was interrupted by the staff member bringing out her tea. “Thank you so much, I appreciate it! Thank you again,” she smiled as the tray was set in front of her with yet another nod from the maid before she hurried back to the kitchen. “Anyway, why haven’t you told me anything about him then, Rei?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s an excellent question. Why haven’t you mentioned him, Reina?” Sora teased, and Reina blinked rapidly, still not fully ready to be put on the spot like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, because apparently I’m secretive over text,” Reina said with a weak laugh, looking over at Chloe who rolled her eyes in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are quite cryptic over text, I’m sort of glad to hear that’s not just with me,” Sora agreed, getting a grin from Chloe. Reina let out a little huff as she glanced back down at the coffee cup in her hands, nose scrunching as she thought about it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great, another flaw I need to work on. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“But that’s no matter. You have plenty of time to talk about it now, don’t you?” Sora mused, sitting back in her seat. Reina glanced over at Chloe, who seemed more than ready to receive all the details she so desperately had been waiting for. When Reina took too long for Sora’s liking, she piped up in place of the younger girl’s response. “My dear, I think your sister has met her future husband,” Sora finally said over to Chloe, getting another nose scrunch from Reina in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure about all that - “ Reina tried to interject, but Chloe’s eyes shot open as she grabbed onto Reina’s left hand in search. Reina stared down at her, blinking. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Future husband. Not fiance,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she added quickly in French, which made Chloe slump into her seat in relief. Sora caught the word fiance and gave a little giggle once she pieced the miscommunication together. Chloe let out a deep breath before finally looking over at Sora again, now ready to dive into the conversation once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll have to see about that, he’ll need to get me and my family’s approval,” Chloe said simply, looking over at Reina who scrunched her nose up even further. “What? Any ‘future husband’ of yours! Not just this guy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s such a chauvinistic tradition, needing any family approval for an engagement,” Reina said with a little eye roll, taking a drink from her cup, which made Sora giggle even more. “If I were to get engaged for some reason, everyone should just trust my judgement. Nobody should have to sign off on it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean for ‘some reason’? You’ll get engaged,” Chloe asked with furrowed eyebrows, but she was deliberately ignored by Reina, so Sora pushed the conversation further in an attempt to save Reina in a way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki seems a little more old school, at least morally. Do you think he would ask your parents for their permission?” Sora asked genuinely, and Reina actually took a second to think about it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Poor guy would have not one, not two, but three separate families to ask if he were to propose to me. My mom and Eric, Connor, and the LaRue’s. Four if he were to include my current host family, whether it be Sora or whoever I’m with next year,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina realized, then blinked, still in thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We’re not getting engaged this year or next year. We’re probably not getting engaged at all. Why am I thinking about this?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. I’m not too sure,” she admitted quietly before taking another drink from her mug. “But that doesn’t really matter.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, you won’t have to worry about all that,” Sora reassured, then smirked a little as she brought her cup back up to her lips. “Only he has to worry about that, you won’t have to stress about it at all,” she swiftly added, getting a giggle out of Chloe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously, Rei, is this the real deal?” Chloe asked, giving her a little smile in Reina’s direction, though Reina’s gaze remained fixated into the cup held tightly between her hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Considering the fact that I’m seventeen, I think we both know the answer to that. He’s really sweet, and I enjoy spending time with him. We click really well, and I don’t know,” Reina said, beginning to trail off as she realized that none of what she was saying was helping her initial argument. “We’re seventeen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And he’s perfect for you, and you’re perfect for him, and you spend all of your free time together, and he’s so </span>
  <em>
    <span>handsome</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Sora continued from her trail, a giggling Chloe laughing harder with each sentence. Reina bit down hard on her lip. “Plenty of people meet their future spouses at a young age, it’s not as strange as you’re making it sound.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right! Rei, mom and dad met at thirteen, remember? Dating by fifteen, and married right at eighteen!” Chloe recalled. Reina blinked, still staring into her cup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgot about that,” she said softly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The happiest couple I’ve ever met in my life, and they’ve been together since they were fifteen. Maybe this isn’t so crazy… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Finally, a little smile appeared as she looked up at Chloe, who was beaming back at her. “I don’t know. We’ll see. I do like him,” she sheepishly admitted. Chloe looked over at Sora, who was wearing a soft and almost nostalgic smile at Reina. Sora caught Chloe’s gaze and sent her a new, peppier grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you like him?” She asked. Chloe thought about it before giving a soft nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think so. But I made Reina invite him over so I can make sure I do - I hope that was okay! I didn’t mean to invite someone else into your house, I know my arrival was enough of a surprise, sorry,” Chloe rambled, her voice going quieter with each sentence, and eventually she bit down on her tongue as she realized just how much she was talking. Sora shook her head with her continued gentle smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki is always welcome here, Reina knows that - he was probably going to be here tonight anyway, or Reina was going to be at his house,” Sora explained, looking over at Reina who offered no rebuttals to the statement. “And you’re always welcome, as well. I love guests,” Sora said with an excited beam over at Chloe, who returned it. Sora looked down at her empty cup, which is normally when they would depart, but she set it aside and looked between the two girls. “I was thinking it might be kind of fun for you girls to have a little slumber party in the game room. You’ll have access to the games, or can just watch movies or television if you prefer. We have spare mattresses in a room upstairs - by the way, Reina, I know your school play is coming up. My sons would typically host their parties here, whether it was just for friends or for their final sports games for the season or whatever, and all the kids would use the mattresses to stay the night. Saito and I are in desperate need of weekend vacation, so I can set it up for that weekend if you’re interested in having your theatre cast party here. We can discuss the details later on that,” Sora said, eyes twinkling. “Would the game room idea be a good idea?” She asked, getting enthusiastic nods from each girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that sounds amazing, thank you,” Reina said with a grin. Sora smiled back then glanced around for a staff member. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can have someone bring down two - three - two? Well, however many mattresses you’ll need,” Sora said, but Chloe perked up with an idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, that’s okay, you’ve all been so kind so far. Reina and I can get them if we know which room they’re in!” Chloe said with a large grin. Sora opened her mouth to decline the offer, but at the sight of the eager girl in front of her, she gave a little nod. She gave them the instructions to the room before bidding them goodnight and heading off to her own room. Reina was definitely apprehensive about Chloe’s avid attitude to the manual labor job she had signed them up for, but set it aside as she recommended they go get changed into their pajamas before taking on the task. As they made their way up to her room, she sent Tamaki a quick text that he could head over soon. Reina and Chloe both entered and started to get dressed. As Reina rummaged through her closet for something cute and comfortable, Chloe couldn’t help but snoop around the room. When she made it over to the open closet door, her eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, what the hell?” She asked, now switching over to French, crouching down to see the bottles of alcohol - alongside a new addition to her little delinquency stash. Chloe picked up a large mason jar, more than three fourths full with weed. “Is this for everyone? Like, your whole school? Why do you need this much?” She asked, looking over at Reina who just shrugged. “Well come on, share with the class!” She said as she stood up and clutched the jar even tighter. Reina let out a little laugh while finalizing her decision for the nightwear, then glanced over to Chloe with eyebrows furrowed in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You want to smoke?” She asked, picking up on Chloe’s cue of being done with Japanese for the day and switching to French as well. “I’m surprised you’re picking the weed over the alcohol. I recall that being more your thing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t look like a huge idiot in front of your boyfriend. Maybe we’ll drink tomorrow,” Chloe decided with a grin. Reina laughed again, and decided to ignore the opportunity to argue over the boyfriend comment as she pulled on the components of her outfit, then motioned Chloe over towards the window. Reina opened the curtains and blinds before pushing the window open. The doors swung out, giving them more than enough room to lean up against the window sill. As Chloe did that, Reina took the jar from her and moved over to retrieve a pipe that Hiroto had graciously given her along with the weed itself. “Wait, does he smoke? We could wait for him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never asked outright, but he doesn’t seem like the type. We don’t need to wait. Plus, if he did want to, it’s not like we’re going to run out,” Reina pointed out, which made Chloe nod a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll leave out the part where he gets annoyed about me smoking. She’ll either make fun of him for being too protective or chastise me for doing something that my ‘future husband’ doesn’t like, and I have literally no way to tell which one it would be with her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina came back over to the window and started up. It only took a few minutes for both of them to finish the bowl, before admittedly, Reina was the one smoking the majority of it. “Do you want more?” Reina asked, and Chloe shook her head as she covered her mouth with her own balled up fists, short fits of coughs still coming out. Reina nodded gently and moved to put all the items away again. “Okay, I guess we need to go haul mattresses downstairs. And I still need to shower, too,” Reina mumbled, shaking her head as she thought about the idea of carrying a mattress down the steps all on her own. “You know, the staff members don’t mind helping us. Plus I’m sure almost all of them are much stronger than we are.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll just have to trust me, we want to bring them down,” Chloe giggled, moving over towards the bedroom door and stepping out once Reina was finished securely putting everything back in their original spots. She debated the idea of arguing with her, but after looking at Chloe’s face of pure glee, she simply pushed it aside and walked with her to retrieve the mattresses. Once getting the two essential ones, they each began to push them on their sides towards the grand staircase. It was clear that each of them were slightly struggling with the task, but neither one of them vocally complained. Upon arriving at the top of the stairs, Chloe dropped the mattress and turned to Reina, who furrowed her eyebrows in response. “Come on, just like when we were little!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, absolutely not, pick that up,” Reina said with a head shake as soon as she picked up on what Chloe had been insinuating. Chloe pushed her bottom lip out and brought both of her hands together, clasping together in a prayer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rei! Come on!” Chloe said as she threw herself down onto her own mattress, grabbing onto the sides securely. “Our house only has like, twenty stairs. This has got to be so much more fun!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So much more dangerous as well. You want me to be a big sister so badly, and this is what older sisters do - they save you from stupid ideas. I’m only a bad influence to friends. Get up,” Reina sighed, dropping her own mattress to cross her arms. “I’m not as dumb as I used to be.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re also not as fun as you used to be,” Chloe scoffed, wiggling her mattress closer to the edge of the stairs. “That’s fine. I’m going down and if you don’t, then I automatically win the race,” she sang. Reina stared at Chloe for a long moment before letting out an exasperated huff, then dropped down onto her butt and moved the mattress to match with Chloe’s, her legs crossed against it. “Maybe you can still be fun - onetwothree!” She yelled, pushing off abruptly in hopes to beat Reina, but Reina was more than prepared. She had pushed off as soon as Chloe had said three, gripping tightly onto the sides of the mattress as she let out a little shriek, eyes shutting as tightly as she could. She could hear Chloe giggling like crazy next to her, but she couldn’t find herself able to open her eyes, even as the bumps of the stairs subsided and she continued to slide across the marble floors. As the mattress she was on finally stopped moving, Reina let out a loud groan, falling back against it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hated every moment of that,” Reina said quietly, hardly heard over Chloe’s laughing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You know, it’s almost endearing to catch you doing something so immature,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” her favorite voice rang in Japanese. Reina opened her eyes and propped herself up to see Tamaki standing in front of the end of the mattress, a little grin shot down at her. Reina blinked a few times before groaning again, dropping back down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You looked so cute, even when you looked so scared!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He doted, still grinning as he leaned down, grabbing hold of both of her hands and pulling her back up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When did you get here?” Reina asked, furrowing her eyebrows up at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw him at the tailend of you trying to be my mom,” Chloe informed before he could answer for himself. “Tamaki, you and I can go get the third mattress. We’re sleeping in the game room!” Chloe beamed, grinning over at Reina who was back up onto her feet - with Tamaki’s assistance. They both turned to Chloe, each of them holding a different expression. Tamaki was curious as to why Reina wouldn’t be attending, but Reina’s face showed nothing but sheer apprehension. “Reina was complaining earlier about needing to shower.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can wait, it’s not a big deal,” Reina tried, though she grimaced at the idea of not being able to jump in for a quick shower after the long day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind,” Tamaki said, now picking up the cues that they were speaking French tonight and giving Reina a gentle smile. Reina seemed tense, biting the inside of her cheek in thought for a second before nodding and turning to Chloe, narrowing her eyes at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be good,” she said simply before nodding to Tamaki and heading back up the steps. Once again, they heard what the words meant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t talk about me, and don’t interrogate him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Neither of them would be adhering to that plea, just as they didn’t the last time. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Memory Lane (52)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>A/N: Hey everyone! I've sort of mapped out the rest of this fanfiction, and even though I'm not done writing it all out, I've started to think about what fanfic I want to write next! I have a few ideas, some of them more lighthearted and some of them a little more intense. I would love to hear your thoughts on what you would love to read next! I have four options, and I'm going to list them out in order of which I would like to write the most. :) If any of these interest you, let me know! I may end up writing all of them at some point, so if you have a preference on which one you would prefer, throw it out there!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>1. Sesshomaru/OC, a darker fanfic that revolves around protection and time travel. Ironically, I mention Inuyasha briefly in this chapter so hopefully some of you enjoy that little cameo lol. This one is likely to be more somber feeling, a little darker. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>2. Tamaki Suoh/OC Superhero AU. Is this based on the fact that I recently watched Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir? ... Yes. Lol. But I think I could make it really fun! This would definitely be a fun one, turning all of the side characters that only get short time slots in the show into super villains. :) </em>
</p><p>
  <em>3. Kyoya Ootori/OC based on 36 Questions the musical. If you've listened to the musical, you knowwww why this would be fun with the know-it-all Kyoya. It wouldn't be set in high school, but I'm certain I could throw in some host club cameos ;) </em>
</p><p>
  <em>4. Takashi Morinozuka/OC I'm still working out the kinks of this one because I've had a few different ideas for it, but it would be set in the canon timeframe with a girl he knew from long ago. So if you're not into the AU stuff or if you just like the times that they're in the host club as opposed to the older versions of them, then this would probably be your favorite :) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Let me know! I love this current fic, but I'm very excited to be able to move on from it as well soon. Just a little burnout on the story line as things get more intense. It would be super hard to let go of Tamaki/Reina, so if I do the second option, maybe I'll keep Reina as the OC and it'll be like an AU to this relationship. Hahah. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapt</span>
    <span>er Fifty Two</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki and Chloe both watched as Reina hurried up the steps, clearly in a rush to get back as quick as she could. Once she departed down the hall towards her room and bathroom, Chloe turned back to Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know where the game room is?” She asked, lifting up the mattress at her feet. Tamaki easily scooped up Reina’s and gave a quick nod, leading her to the game room. It had been set up for them, with the furniture moved to accommodate mattresses on the ground, plus snacks lined up on a few of the tables that had been repositioned to the outskirts of the room. Chloe dropped her mattress down on the ground, which made Tamaki do the same, leaving a bit of room between the two. “These are small, so I figured we should get another and you can push two of them together for you two,” Chloe teased as she turned, beginning to exit the room so they could pick up the third mattress that they needed. Tamaki’s cheeks flamed pink, but he didn’t dispute her words, since that did in fact sound like the best course of action. He followed after her quickly as she began to bound up the stairs. “You knew where the game room was, you must be here often,” Chloe mused, which made Tamaki’s blush reappear, just as it had started to subside. He cleared his throat a little, glancing away from Chloe, who’s eyes had begun to bore into him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would say I am, yes,” he responded quietly, stuck in somewhat of a moral dilemma. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t want to downplay our relationship to her, but I also don’t want to reveal too much in case she doesn’t like the answers. I still need her to like me if she and Reina are close,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought to himself, biting down on his tongue in contemplation. Chloe giggled a little as the sight of his brain nearly smoking over all of the thoughts going through it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just kidding. Sora already filled me in, I know you’re here all the time,” she said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me much,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought to himself as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Sora also said she thinks you two are going to get married,” Chloe mentioned. Her high was making her a little more blunt than she might have been, but she didn’t seem to care. Tamaki’s eyes shot open and he turned to look at Chloe, who was smiling back at him. “So, is that true?” Tamaki took a moment before responding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Reina told me she doesn’t see herself getting married,” he admitted, which made Chloe cock an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be a new development for her. We used to sit up all night talking about what we wanted our weddings to look like, about how we wished our future knight in shining armor would come rescue us,” Chloe said, propping open the door to the room that held the mattresses. Tamaki blinked, taking in the new information. “I think she’s lying to herself,” Chloe added to clarify. Tamaki finally jumped out of his train of thought and rushed into the room, grabbing one of the mattresses and stepping back out of the room. “That doesn’t really matter, though. You like her?” She asked. He let out a little breath as they began to walk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really like her,” he admitted, not daring to look at Chloe, though she had a little smirk on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I love her, really, but I don’t want to say that for the first time in front of a stranger</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “I hope to change her mind on marriage.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you do want to marry Reina, then?” Chloe mused, still smirking up at Tamaki as they made their way down the steps. With a little blush still lingering on his cheeks, he looked over at Chloe and gave a little nod. “I wouldn’t worry about changing her mind. She’s just dumb,” Chloe shrugged. Tamaki bit the inside of his cheek, trying his absolute hardest not to burst out in defense of the dumb comment. They made their way back into the game room and Tamaki dropped the mattress directly next to Reina’s, a small little smile on his face as he thought more about their conversation. “When she comes back, I’m going to leave again - just a forewarning. I tried searching her room for any pill bottles or anything else that was worse when we were both in there and all I found was some weed, which was a nice discovery but not what I was looking for,” she said with a little giggle. Tamaki glanced up, a little frown on his face and his eyebrows drawn together, but he didn’t respond right away. Chloe shut the game room door and made her way to one of the couches still lining the walls, taking a seat and looking at Tamaki, who plopped down onto his mattress.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina did tell me that she caused some trouble in Holland, but she never would elaborate. I guess if it was really bad, then I understand why she didn’t want to talk about it,” Tamaki mentioned as he ran through all of their previous conversations. “She also told me that her host parents there were really strict.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, can you blame them?” Chloe asked, as if it were obvious. “Some drugged up teenager shows up on your doorstep and thinks she can do whatever she wants? You get freedom after proving you’re capable of handling it. And Reina has this little </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> against strict authority. So I can’t imagine she was all too willing to listen to them as soon as they put their foot down. She kind of does what she wants anyway,” she added with a shrug. Tamaki’s face scrunched up, but after a quick moment of thought, he stared down at his hands. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think I can argue with any of that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Chloe pulled her legs onto the couch and crossed them, still studying the guy in front of her.  “Tamaki, who’s Saito?” He glanced back up at her, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Saito is Reina’s current host dad,” he told her, watching as she grimaced. “Did you meet him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. When it was just Sora at dinner, I was hoping she was single. But then she mentioned Saito,” Chloe trailed off, looking down at her hands, the frown still evident on her face. Tamaki blinked, his mouth almost dropping, but he held that back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you have a crush on her or something?” Tamaki asked genuinely. Chloe looked back at him, astonished. “I didn’t think you were - you know, like, a girl who liked girls. Especially such older women,” he mumbled, drawing his eyebrows even closer together. She waited a moment to see if he would clarify whether or not he was joking, but when no other words came out of his mouth, she couldn’t help but laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and Reina are </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> dumb, you’ll work out just fine!” She giggled, shaking her head at the newly offended blonde in front of her. “I obviously don’t like Reina’s host mom, that would be a little weird. I don’t want any guys living with her, dummy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what’s wrong with guys?” He asked defensively, and she shot him a questioning look. “If she and I were to get married, I would be living with her,” Tamaki pointed out, motioning with his hand as if it were obvious.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dummy, I meant old, creepy men,” she clarified seriously, though the new nickname was starting to grow on her, and it was clear that was his new name for the night. “He hasn’t done anything weird, right?” She asked, a newfound softness in her voice compared to how she had been speaking the last few sentences. Tamaki stilled as he thought back to the first night he had spent in the Higurashi home, with the odd encounter they had with Saito. Chloe stiffened as she noticed the lack of response. “Tell me right now,” she practically demanded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, it was kind of weird. He came up to her room, but when he saw I was here, said he would talk with her later. Sora said I could be here, so she wasn’t getting in trouble,” he recalled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what happened when they talked later?” Chloe asked, which made Tamaki’s nose scrunch up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure they ever did end up talking. At least, she never told me about it,” Tamaki said as he thought about it. He looked back up at Chloe, who was pretty pale at this point. “Is there something I should be worried about?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just keep an eye on it. Please,” Chloe said with a small smile, though the rest of her face didn’t match the forced smile. Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows. “Just keep an eye on it, please and thanks,” Chloe said much more sternly, giving him a little nod. He sat still, dissatisfied with her answer. “Come on, dummy, I can’t tell you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does it have anything to do with what you were talking about earlier, at the host club?” He asked, his voice low. She sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has everything to do with that. It’s why she moved back in with us the second year she was in France. But it doesn’t matter, just worry about now and make sure this Saito guy is fine,” Chloe said with a little huff, glancing up at the ceiling. “Since she won’t tell me anything, anyway.” Tamaki finally took a little breath after realizing he had been holding it in, though no real relief accompanied it. The game room door creaked open and Reina walked in, giving them both a little smile. Tamaki’s lips curled into a short smile at the sight of her hair in those two cute little buns, but it remained a half smile, at best. Chloe dropped her head back down to look at Reina, giving her a bright and chipper smile. “Reina you should have told me that Tamaki was from France! I would have liked him much more,” Chloe teased, a whole new level of enthusiasm in her voice after the grim conversation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good thing Kyoya told me some fun facts about the club, or else I would have no clue what my cover stories would be,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chloe thought to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay. Chloe, Tamaki’s from France,” Reina said simply, yet somehow simultaneously teasing, while giving Tamaki a little grin as he turned back to look at her. His face was not yet as cheerful as Chloe was able to make hers, but Reina didn’t seem to notice. Chloe rolled her eyes as she stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too late, I figured it out before you could tell me. Do better, Rei,” she teased, stretching a little as she stood. “My turn for a shower. Are towels in the bathroom?” She asked as Reina made her way over to the conjoined mattresses, taking a seat next to Tamaki and giving Chloe a nod. “Okay, don’t wait up for me! Pick something for us to do when I get back!” Chloe sang as she bounded out the door. As soon as Tamaki heard the door shut, he turned to Reina who was giving him a soft smile. He reached out, tilting her chin up to look up at him more directly as he inspected her, looking at her red tinted eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you two smoke?” He asked softly. Reina gave him a sheepish grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was it that obvious? Was she acting weird?” She asked, reaching one of her hands down and pressing it against his thigh. “Sorry. I tried to be quick.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t take too long,” he assured, but kept his hold on her chin. “I thought smoking was just something you did with friends, like recreationally. I really didn’t even know you had any, I thought Hiroto was the one that kept it. Why do you have some?” he asked quietly. She gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve switched from recreational to medical,” she laughed a bit, furrowing her eyebrows when he didn’t seem happy with that answer. “Isn’t using it recreationally technically better? I just use it whenever you’re not here, so I can sleep better. I had no plans to smoke tonight, Chloe wanted to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have told me, I would stay with you every night,” he told her tenderly, his free hand moving to her waist as the hand on her chin moved up to cup her cheek. She gave him a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to, though. I can handle myself.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would be a good excuse, anyway. I tend to enjoy the nights we spend together much more, anyway,” Tamaki said, finally cracking a slightly larger smile. Reina leaned up and gave him a little peck on the lips, squeezing his thigh gently. “Maybe we can finally end that rule of no school nights, since we don’t follow it all of the time anyway.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe is a good word,” she mused, her eyes twinkling up at him. “I’m sorry. It seems like we can’t escape weird run-ins with my family. At least I can blame this one on Kyoya.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like intertwining our lives,” Tamaki said genuinely, and her breath hitched. “I enjoy meeting your family and getting to know them, just as I enjoy you coming to family dinners, and how I’ll love when you’re finally able to meet my mom.” Reina blinked before leaning up, giving him another kiss on the lips, though this one had a bit more passion than the last. She pulled her lips from his, though didn’t move her face away from his quite yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait for that either,” she said quietly, her free hand resting against his chest. Tamaki smiled, though his mind began to fly through all the different thoughts he had going on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Should I ask her about what Chloe was telling me? Is Chloe finding anything in Reina’s room? I’ve been in there enough times, I would have seen something. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Slowly, his mind turned to more wholesome things. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’ll love you,” he confided. “My mom always wanted me to know the importance of strength, and you’re one of the strongest people I know,” he said, which made Reina still in her position. She gently squeezed his thigh once more, but didn’t speak yet. “I think she always wanted to be more outspoken, she’ll admire that in you,” he continued, moving his hand to the back of her head and beginning to stroke her hair, his forehead resting against hers. “Once she hears your voice, there’s no doubt that you and I will be stuck in front of a piano, playing music for her for hours on end at her request,” he said with a soft little laugh, his smile still intact. “My mom loves to laugh, and I know she’ll find your quirky sense of humor endearing. She’ll be pleased to see I found someone who trumps me in my good looks.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now I know you’re just teasing me,” Reina mused softly, but her voice was quiet, a little smile creeping onto her lips. “Quirky? And you must be referring to someone else trumping you - though I can’t picture a single person in the world who comes close to beating you out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’ll have to remind me when we get closer to Christmas time that you need a better mirror in your room,” Tamaki retorted, leaning forward and giving her another affectionate kiss on the lips, then pulled away to look at her. “Do you think I’ll ever meet your mom and stepdad?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re lucky, then no,” Reina said without thinking much about her words, but even as they flew out, she still stood by them. His expression was soft as he continued to play with her hair. “But probably. Well, I’m not really sure, to be honest with you. I don’t know if those paths will ever cross if I’m being realistic. If my mom drops in for another spontaneous visit at some point, then I’ll introduce you to her - I think your dad would probably want to see her, anyway. But I doubt you would ever meet Eric, at least not anytime soon,” she elaborated, finally getting another tiny beam out of Tamaki. “I’m sort of surprised she hasn’t already visited. Her parents live here, but if they’re keeping my whereabouts from my grandparents, then I guess that would explain it,” she said with a little shrug. The game room door creaked open once more, and Reina looked up, eyebrows furrowing. “That was a short shower, you were quick.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t need to wash my hair,” Chloe lied with a shrug, both hands held behind her back as she kicked the door shut, mischief filling her aura. “I snooped through your room.” Tamaki’s heart dropped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She must have found a pill bottle. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If it’s something of yours, you can take it back,” Reina said with a shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s much better tha - did you take some of my stuff?” She asked, eyes widening. “I’ve been missing a shirt since you left! And now that I think about it, probably some other stuff. God, you’re the worst,” Chloe groaned, biting down hard on her tongue and shaking her head. “I’ll check later. No, it’s not that,” Chloe said, annoyance seemingly dissipating as she pulled two photo albums from behind her back, her grin reappearing. “Look!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can see them, go put them back,” Reina said simply, and she stiffened just enough for it to fall under Tamaki’s radar. Chloe shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure Tamaki wants to see them,” Chloe said, making her way back over to the couch she had originally been sitting on. Reina stood up to try and grab the books from her hands, but in a move almost identical to the twins earlier with the newspaper, she turned on her heel and held them closer to her chest. “Right, Tamaki?” Reina reached for the photo albums again, which made Chloe turn even further away from Tamaki. Though, she didn’t have to look to know that he nodded. “See? Let us see!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even care about you seeing them, but don’t go snooping through my stuff without asking,” Reina protested in a half lie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You can look at one of those albums,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself. She tried once more to grab the books before letting out a frustrated groan and jumped onto Chloe’s back, trying to reach over her shoulders to grab them. Chloe started to spin, actually letting out a laugh as she tried to shrug Reina off of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get off of me, you little shrimp!” Chloe shrieked, watching Tamaki’s amused stare each time she spun around. Finally, Chloe toppled over onto the couch, falling on top of Reina, her back pressed against Reina’s front, pinning her into the cushions. With a giggle, Chloe crossed her legs and started flipping through the pages. Reina started to kick her legs to the best of her abilities, giving little coughs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chloe, you’re - you’re gonna kill me,” Reina said through the coughs, taking in an exaggerated strained breath as she turned to Tamaki, who was laughing at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh shut up, I’m not that heavy,” Chloe shot back, still flipping through the pages. Reina extended her arm out to Tamaki, trying to reach for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Save me, Tamaki, I’m gonna die!” Reina said, still coughing and huffing dramatically. Tamaki jumped up from the mattress, ready to join in on their game. He bounded over, grabbing onto Reina’s hand and tried to pull her out from underneath Chloe, who just pressed her back even harder into Reina. She struggled for another moment before letting her arm go limp, her head turning to the side in a fake death. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think dead people can kick,” Chloe mused, still feeling Reina’s little punts into her spine. Reina stopped kicking and let out one more tiny, pathetic cough, still limp. “Wow, that took forever. Well now that she’s gone, we can look at all the memories she left behind,” Chloe said, finally sitting back up. Tamaki scooped up the still pretending Reina in his arms, laughing a little harder as she continued with the charade, going completely limp in his arms, even after he sat down on the couch next to Chloe to look at the pictures. She had skipped past the majority of the photo album, settling on the photos that had been taken at the beginning of her venture to France. “That’s the first night Reina was at our house, my mom took it,” Chloe explained, pointing to the first photo on the page and moving the book to allow Tamaki to look. Reina was in the middle of four other children, blankets and pillows sprawled across the bedroom floor. All of the kids were asleep, pretty snuggled up to one another. “She seemed so sad when she showed up to our house, so we tried to make her feel better.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You almost smothered me that night,” Reina mumbled, still limp against Tamaki but she now was looking at the photo album as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Smothered with love. I know you had never experienced that before you lived with us, so I’ll give you a pass,” Chloe said simply, which got her a kick to the ribs, a little wheeze coming out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this what it’s like having siblings?” Tamaki asked, glancing down at Reina who had given up the act, now crossing her arms and glaring over at Chloe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you an only child? You’re so lucky,” Chloe laughed, rubbing her ribs briefly before sticking her tongue out at Reina, who still looked annoyed. “It can get worse than this. Especially with a sister as bratty as this one,” Chloe said, jolting to the side to avoid another collision to the ribs as she turned back to the photo album. Tamaki’s eyebrows furrowed at a picture of all five children in front of a house. It was a small house, much smaller than the Higurashi home was, but definitely not tiny. The house was painted yellow with white accents, and a bright red front door. In front of the house was an older minivan. Four of the kids were in school uniforms, except for the youngest boy who still looked too young for school. Reina was in a much different uniform than the other girls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you guys not go to the same school?” He asked, which made the girls exchange a glance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s no way my family could afford for us to go to the prestigious school Reina went to,” Chloe explained with a little laugh. “It was actually kind of funny. Her school was across from mine, and we got out at the same time. My friends and I used to make fun of the fancy rich kids, just because it was entertaining, so when Reina came up to me after her first day, she looked all mad but I guess that’s just her face - “ another kick to the ribs, but Reina actually let out a little laugh to accompany it. “My friends thought she was coming to beat us up for our comments or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why were you making fun of the other kids?” Tamaki asked, eyebrows still furrowed, though his eyes were still lingering along the photos. Chloe let out another laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because they acted all high and mighty because their parents had money. That’s not an achievement. They didn’t do anything except be born lucky,” Chloe shrugged. Tamaki glanced down at Reina, who gave him a look that he immediately picked up on. It was a look telling him not to worry about it, so he gave her a little nod, turning back to the photo album as Chloe started flipping through the photos more. She would stop every once in a while to tell stories about the pictures in front of them. She stopped on a particular one and started laughing almost hysterically, covering her face with the album. “I can’t believe we did this, we looked ridiculous.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and that was not one of them. We looked so cute,” Reina rebutted. She had looked at the pictures enough that she had known what photo Chloe was referring to. Reina snatched the book from the cackling girl’s hands and opened it back up to show Tamaki. The kids were all in the living room, posing for a picture, dressed head to toe in Inuyasha cosplay. Reina stood in the middle, wearing Kagome’s uniform, all the way down to the green skirt that hardly extended past her butt and a long, black haired wig. Tamaki’s face grew red at the sight of it, but then looked around at the rest of the picture. Reina was holding the youngest boy against her hip, who was dressed like Shippo. Even his hair was sprayed to look red. Chloe was taking on somewhat of a gender bent version of Inuyasha, though the long silver locks of the wig didn’t necessarily scream ‘male’ in the first place. The other two kids were dressed like Sango and Miroku. “I had to beg them to do a group outfit for Halloween. The boys didn’t need convincing, they loved watching it with me. Chloe was really the only one being bratty about it, so I told her I would pay for us all to go to an amusement park that was doing Halloween celebrations - which I was going to do anyway, but I just needed something to bribe her with.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You also bribed me with half of the candy you got that night,” Chloe reminded, and Reina gave a little giggle, eyes still fixated on the picture. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Worth it,” Reina added, smiling softly. “I wish you could have heard the scream I let out when I found out I was living with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Higurashi</span>
  </em>
  <span> family. I was so excited. I would let them adopt me legally just to take on the last name.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think Suoh fits you better,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki couldn’t help but think, a grin spread across his cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen,” Tamaki doted, though he was more so referring to Reina’s reaction to the picture. She glanced up at him, noticing instantly that his gaze was on her rather than the photo album, and her cheeks slowly turned pink as she grinned back up at him, turning back down to the photo album and continued to flip through. Reina, still dressed as Kagome but lacking her wig, was in a house surrounded by a bunch of friends. She was holding a bottle of vodka towards the camera, a big grin on her face. Everyone else in the room had some sort of drink in their hands, whether it was a red cup or a can, but Reina seemed to be taking on the bottle itself. Reina skipped through a few more pages, glad that there were no comments made about the few party pictures on the pages. The rest of them were mostly filled with her and her friends from school or the host family. One of the pictures was of her and her host mom cooking together in the kitchen. Reina clearly looked frustrated while mixing something, but the woman was just smiling over at her gently, the way that a mother would. Tamaki noticed that Chloe favored her mom greatly. He also saw pictures of Connor, who must’ve come out for a visit, similar to his trip here. Tamaki took particular interest in a picture of Reina in front of the eiffel tower, in the process of pulling a beret off her head, a large grin on her face in what he had to assume was the middle of a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Connor wanted me to take a tourist type of photo, he thought it would be funny. Bought that beret and everything,” Reina explained with a little laugh. Tamaki rested his chin on the top of her head, leaning down a bit to reach his pocket and he pulled his phone out. Quickly, before she could say anything else, he took a picture of the photograph in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> might be one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen,” he said with another grin, tucking his phone away again and wrapping his arms back around the girl who was giggling softly beneath him. The three continued to go through the pictures, and Tamaki noticed one where Reina was playing guitar outside in the grass, still dressed in her school uniform. “I didn’t know you knew how to play any instruments,” he mentioned, and Reina gave him a weak smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not very well. I know how to write and read music, but playing it is sort of a different story. My brain just isn’t hardwired to do that,” she said, flipping the page to show another picture of her and a guy, each with a guitar, and a few friends sitting around them. “He tried to teach me, but I sucked at it and it hurt my fingers too much so I gave up.” Though the pictures were three years old, and it was during a time where Tamaki didn’t even know about Reina’s existence, he felt a twinge of jealousy over the fact that someone else got to experience something as emotionally intimate with Reina. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If anyone was going to teach her to play an instrument, it should be me. I could easily teach her how to play piano in a week, and she’d be amazing at it, she wouldn’t want to give up. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki’s emotion only heightened at Chloe’s next words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love</span>
  </em>
  <span> with Reina,” she said with a little yawn, the length of the day starting to hit her. Tamaki’s face scrunched up. “But alas- it was unrequited. I thought she was going to marry him and stay a few streets away from us for the rest of our lives.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You thought both of us were going to live in our parent’s houses for the rest of our lives? Like, me and this guy would get married and just - live with his parents? And you were going to keep living with yours?” Reina asked with a laugh, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely,” Chloe mused, leaning her head into the couch cushion behind her, eyes threatening to close. “At the sweet and naive age of thirteen, I did think that, thanks for asking.” Reina laughed again, turning back down to the photo album. She skimmed that same picture for another moment before she was reminded of something. She pointed to a guy who was off to the side of the photo, then peeked up at Tamaki. He had still been fixated on the younger version of herself in the picture, but soon caught her cues and broke his gaze to turn to her finger. He stared at it for a second before his eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chance?” He asked quietly, getting a short nod in return. Chance was sitting on the ground with a girl laying her head across his lap, as he rested back against his palms. “So you two were friends, then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess so. Not too close, but we were friendly,” she smiled gently. “We went on a group date together once, but there was no spark because he and I just didn’t have too much in common. I don’t know if he was the same when you knew him, but he was just really serious. Kind of like Kyoya, but even Kyoya can make a joke here and there,” she explained, glancing back up at him as he nodded slowly. “Very nice, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least I’ll never have to worry about him finding you to make you his wife. I’m not fond of competition,” he teased her, poking at her side just a bit, which got a tiny giggle from Reina. Each of them peeked over at Chloe, who seemed like she may have been asleep on the couch next to them, so they cuddled up closer to one another with the photo album. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was still dating that girl,” Reina whispered, pointing to the girl who was laying in his lap. “They seemed like a good match for one another. They still were together when I left,” she noted. Tamaki turned his head to the side and gave Reina a soft kiss on the side of her jaw before tugging her body even closer to his own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure they are. Love always prevails,” he quietly gushed, getting another short giggle and an eye roll from the girl stuck on his lap. After a little bit more of flipping, they made it to the end of the photo album; the last few photos were them saying their goodbyes in the airport, and then a few of her and her siblings at home. One of them that stood out to Tamaki was a photo of Reina sitting on the ground, one of her twin brothers sleeping in her lap. ‘</span>
  <b>
    <em>Asher’</em>
  </b>
  <span> was written on the side of the picture and Tamaki smiled softly. Reina snapped it shut as they finally reached the end and she set the album to the side. Out of nowhere, Chloe sat herself up from the brief slumber and grabbed onto the second album, startling the couple just a bit. Reina blinked down at the photo album in Chloe’s hands, and found the ability to speak just as Chloe was about to pry the book open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s enough memories for tonight,” Reina said quietly, casting a glance at Chloe. “You seem tired.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kinda. I’ll just look at the rest tomorrow,” Chloe admitted. “Reina, will you put on a movie for me? You don’t have to turn off the lights,” she said as Reina stood to comply with the request. Chloe handed the photo album off to Tamaki who was more than eager to take it, but Reina stopped in her tracks, turning to Tamaki with a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The other one that we were just looking at has some baby photos at the beginning of it, those might be more interesting to look at, or we could just watch the movie,” Reina suggested, trying to divert his attention to the second photo album that had just been handed to him as she bounded over to turn on the movie, trying to be quick about it. Chloe stood with a stretch and another little yawn before turning to Tamaki and giving him a little nod to say goodnight. She wandered over to the mattress and snatched up one of the blankets that had been left for them before practically collapsing onto the mattress, asleep in almost seconds. Tamaki glanced down at the photo album in his hands, and curiosity got the best of him. He flipped open the first page. There were a few more pictures of her and her siblings, though they looked much more formal than all of her other photos. Aside from the single candid of her and Asher that he had seen in the last album, the rest of the pictures seemed more posed than her pictures with her host siblings had been. Tamaki also took notice of the fact that Reina’s hair was straight in all of the pictures where she was in New York, which he smiled somewhat fondly at. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think I’ve ever seen her with straightened hair. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He flipped forward and landed on another photo, this time of Reina in a room. It was much more decorated than her current one had been, though it didn’t seem like Reina’s style all too much. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She said she thought less was more,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he recalled, glancing up at Reina, who was currently putting a DVD in the player, so he looked back down at the photo plastered in pink decorations. On the side of the photo was a little note. </span>
  <b>
    <em>My room in the Comtois house.</em>
  </b>
  <span> Tamaki read it over again before shutting the book and setting it to the side, exchanging it for the first one he had in his hands initially. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Comtois family. I feel bad for doing this, but maybe Kyoya can find something for me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought to himself, looking back up at Reina. She finished up with putting on the movie, despite Chloe already being asleep, before heading back over to Tamaki, a little smile on her face at the sight of the other photo album being cast aside. She took a seat next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. “We could just watch the movie, you know. It was Chloe’s idea to look through pictures, and I can’t imagine that was very fun for you,” Reina said softly, as to not wake Chloe, though the slumbering girl in the middle of the room probably couldn’t be woken up even if they were to be yelling. Tamaki grinned as he began to flip it open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was more than fun, and I could never turn away the opportunity to see baby pictures of you,” he said, turning his gaze away from Reina to look back down at the picture, his eyes widening immediately. He pulled the album closer to his face, before slowly, he started to coo at the photos in front of him. “So cute, look at those cheeks! I wish I could squeeze them!” He uttered, nose almost hitting the pages as Reina let out a soft giggle, gazing up at him from her position on his shoulder. One of the pictures was of Kimi holding Reina. Tamaki took notice of the fact that Kimi had a soft but somehow very noticeably fake smile, not nearly as big as the smile on the beaming baby bundled in her arms. “You were such a happy baby,” he thought out loud, though kept his thoughts about how unhappy Kimi looked to himself. He flipped the page and melted even further, his cheeks flaming pink. “Look at your little freckles! There were hardly any in this picture,” he noted, flipping the page again to see another picture of her, a little older - possibly four. “There’s more here, but still not as much as you have now. They’re so cute, my little Reina baby,” he gushed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to see some of your baby photos next time I come over, I can’t even picture how cute you must have been,” Reina said dotingly, just as Tamaki pulled out his phone to take more pictures of the collection in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was a cute kid, but nothing like you. I hope our daughters look like you,” he said without thinking much, taking his last photo, and each of them froze in their spots. Tamaki’s phone was still hovered over the photo album that sat in his lap, in complete shock of the words that flew out of his mouth. Reina blinked, staring forward before finally braving it to look up at Tamaki, who looked like he had turned into stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a bold assumption to make,” Reina said quietly, slowly relaxing back into his side, though kept her eyes locked on him. “What if you and I were to only have sons? Then they would have to look like you, I’d think. Or, I’d hope at least.” Tamaki’s eyes fluttered at her words, slowly turning his gaze to her, his hands dropping back down now that the fear had subsided. “I think we’d make some pretty cute kids, especially if they looked like you,” Reina added, sending him a little smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Au contraire, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love</span>
  </em>
  <span>, we would make breath-taking children, especially if they look like you,” he retorted softly, finally closing the photo album and setting it aside, then turning to side to wrap both his arms around her, getting a little giggle out of Reina as she moved closer into him. “I would hope that we would have daughters, I could never turn away the thought of having little tiny Reinas running around.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a goof,” she gushed, running a single hand through his hair, though her stomach was churning at his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So, she’s open to the idea of having kids with me? Maybe she’s already willing to marry me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, does this mean he actually wants to have kids with me? Maybe Sora was right, maybe he does want to marry me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, the two held each other and joked about it for the rest of their time spent awake for the night. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you even find out how to get a hold of Chloe?” Tamaki asked, phone pressed to his ear. He was sprawled across his bed, eyes fixated on the ceiling as his free hand was pulling on the sheet below him, then allowed it to snap down before continuing the act. He had just gotten home from having breakfast with Reina, Chloe, and Sora, and his first thought was to try and figure out what he desperately needed to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I actually called the home phone. Chloe’s mother, Esmee, was the one to answer. However, it wasn’t even a few hours until Chloe called me back, demanding to know more about me and my acquaintanceship with Reina,” Kyoya explained coolly, sitting back in his chair as he tapped his pen against the table. “She was much more hostile over the phone our first time speaking, but she seemed to calm down once she truly believed that I called with good intentions.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what were those intentions, really?” Tamaki asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “I just don’t quite understand how we got from point A to point B. Or, I don’t know what point A really was, I guess.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you mentioned Reina’s hesitancy to talk about France, I did some investigating. That was when I found out she was in the host program in the first place. The program was quite tight lipped about her current residence, but had no problem handing out her former houses, for the most part. I decided to call just to be friendly and make myself known to her former host family, hoping it would give us a bit of insight, and I would say that the phone call I placed did end up paying off yesterday. Wouldn’t you say so, Tamaki?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure,” Tamaki brushed off. “So did you call both of her host families from France?” He asked, sitting up in his bed as a nervous anticipation kicked in. Kyoya cleared his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, like I said, the program was fairly open with it’s information - </span>
  <em>
    <span>for the most part.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The woman who I spoke to said there was an unusual circumstance, and Reina rejoined her prior family’s house after a few short months, so they didn’t give me the other family’s name.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I had a name for you, could you try and figure out what that ‘unusual circumstance’ was?” Tamaki asked, tapping his knuckles against the sheeted mattress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could try, you have a name for me?” Kyoya asked, a hint of surprise in his tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A last name. Comtois. C-O-M-T -- “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know how to spell, Tamaki, thank you,” Kyoya interrupted, beginning his typing. He started with a simple Google search as he normally did. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Comtois Lyon France. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He blinked back at the screen, then added 2006 to the search, just to ensure he was getting the correct results. He stared at the top articles that had popped up, almost frozen in his spot. “I think there are some things I’m just unable to do,” he finally said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Morally,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, clicking on one of the articles to read for himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Morally, I cannot tell you what I found. Of course I could find it, though. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t find anything? How can that be? How many Comtois families could have lived in Lyon in 2006?” Tamaki asked, eyebrows furrowed. Kyoya almost let out a breath of relief. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess sometimes it works out that he has no concept of researching things for himself. He just pieced together every single bit of what brought me here,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kyoya thought to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t tell you,” Kyoya responded coolly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not many, I’m sure. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you keep looking?” Tamaki asked, just as Kyoya finished reading the current article that his eyes had been glued to. It took him a moment to process Tamaki’s words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could, but why don’t you just ask her? You can’t spend your whole life searching for answers when they could be right in front you,” Kyoya pointed out, staring at the answers that were currently right in front of him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Despite the irony, I’m still right,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kyoya justified in his head. He could hear Tamaki sigh from the other end of the call. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe. I’m just worried, is all. Chloe said some weird things yesterday, she was asking about Saito and about being worried about Reina with men,” Tamaki said. This time, Kyoya couldn’t hold back his sound, a little sigh escaping his lips as he rubbed one of his temples with his free hand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So the answers </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>are</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> in front of him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I asked if there was a correlation between the stuff she was talking about at the club and why she was worried and she basically called me stupid.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, perhaps you are stupid,” Kyoya added, moving his hand and shutting the laptop in front of him, then moved it to rub his other temple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess she didn’t basically call me stupid, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> call me stupid,” Tamaki recalled, ignoring what Kyoya had even said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, unfortunately, I don’t think I can help you with this one. You’ll either need to ask Reina for yourself, or figure this one out on your own.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Tamaki finally said after a moment of silence. “Thank you, Kyoya.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s probably going to need it, no matter which route he takes on this one. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Date Night (53)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A/N: Hey! So I mentioned my ideas for a new fanfic in my last chapter, but I decided to just make a poll on the other website that I write on. :) guests should be able to vote so you dont need to make an account or anything! if you'd like to help me out and vote, it would be so appreciated! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <a href="https://www.quotev.com/quiz/13728913/Next-Fanfic">https://www.quotev.com/quiz/13728913/Next-Fanfic</a>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Chapter Fifty Three</span> </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> keep one of my shirts!” Chloe yelled, ripping the article of clothing off of the hanger and turning to Reina, who just shrugged back without a care. Reina grabbed the dress she had picked out from the bed and began to pull it over her head, ignoring Chloe’s little huffs. “I don’t care about this one, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>still! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Whatever, I’m bringing whatever dress I pick out home with me. Ooh, this one is cute!” She said, pulling out the lilac dress that Reina had worn to the host club’s dance. Reina glanced over and let out a little laugh before motioning down to her own casual attire. Reina had picked out a baby pink spaghetti strap dress that flared slightly at the waist, and had decided to wear a long sleeved white shirt underneath it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Knock yourself out, you’ll be the best dressed one of the group,” she teased, smoothing out her dress to ensure there were no weird lines from the shirt underneath. Chloe rolled her eyes as she continued to search. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not actually going to wear it, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> cute. How do you know these people, anyway?” Chloe asked, clearly referring to the unknown parties of the upcoming date. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m in my main class with one of them, and the other one is in my theatre class. I actually went on a few dates with the one from my theatre class,” Reina mentioned with a little laugh. Chloe blinked, turning away from the overstuffed closet to look at Reina who was now seated, responding to a text from Tamaki about something silly, a little smile on her face. “But we’re just good friends now.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going on a group date with a guy who you also dated? That’s so awkward, Rei, how’d you get roped into that?” Chloe cackled, almost doubling over in laughter. “How do you get into such weird circumstances?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, just so you know, I actually have been the one pushing for it. They’re my friends. Just because Hiroto and I didn’t work out doesn’t mean we’re not still friends,” Reina said with an eye roll, ignoring Chloe’s continued laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And does the girl know that you and Hiroto dated?” Chloe asked, finally settling on a simple dress and pulling it off it’s hanger, leaving a pile of clothes on the ground, which she stepped away from without a second thought. Reina gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That was the only part I was worried about, but Hiroto told her. They’ve been talking for a few weeks now, she didn’t care. I actually was the one that kind of introduced them, so she just thought it was funny. Plus, she’s also convinced I’ll be marrying Tamaki, so no competition,” Reina explained easily, brushing past the conversation as she smiled down at her phone, trying to think of another witty response to send back to the flirty blonde on the other end of the text. Chloe eyed her after pulling the dress on. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of Tamaki,” Chloe started, flipping her hair a little as she turned back to mirror, running her fingers through her hair to try and smooth it out after her instinctual flip she threw through it. “I like him,” she finally said, grinning over at Reina, who glanced up from her phone. “I think he’s good for you!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s some weird deja vu, now I understand how Tamaki must have felt when Mori teased him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought, letting out a little breath of relief. “Plus he’s rich, so you’ll be set no matter what, even if your parents cut you off! You should really try and set me up with one of your rich friends, huh?” She laughed, but Reina furrowed her eyebrows in return. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s so disgusting, Chloe. I don’t care about his money, or any money for that matter,” Reina said, getting an eye roll from Chloe. “I can make my own money. I don’t need a rich man, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> a rich man,” she quoted with a little giggle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s such a rich person thing to say, you sound so privileged. You’re only saying that because you know that deep down, you’ll never actually be without money,” Chloe pointed out with a shrug, but Reina frowned. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not it,” Reina said quietly. The tiny giggles had left her system now that her feelings had gotten a bit hurt. “You know, your house is the lowest income home I’ve ever spent time in,” Reina gently responded. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t remind me,” Chloe interrupted. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And it was the happiest,” Reina added at the end of Chloe’s words, which made Chloe turn to her. Reina had a few tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall, but she didn’t allow them to. “Money isn’t the key to happiness. I think sometimes it can be the downfall to it, in some circumstances. How many times had your mom called you again, just today?” Reina asked. Chloe’s shoulders slumped as she turned over towards her phone that was already blinking with presumably another text message from her mom. Her eyes diverted back down towards the floor and she began to chew on her bottom lip.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Two, so far,” she said softly, slowly understanding where this was going. Reina gave a nod. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The last time I talked to my mom was earlier this month for Hannah’s birthday, where she said hello, and asked if I needed more money. As if that was the only reason I would reach out or something. Which, by the way, is the same thing she said to me on my birthday. Once a week, my only real contact with them is a drop in my account with my weekly allowance. I would give up that money for a genuine phone call,” Reina finally said, ignoring the incoming text she was getting from Tamaki as two little tears fell down her cheeks and she glanced away from the flustered Chloe to stare at a wall instead. “I’m not worried about the money in my future, and neither should you. Find someone who makes you happy, Clo.” Chloe finally gave a tiny, but understanding nod. “I’m not saying money isn’t totally important, I don’t want either of us to lower our standards anything, but it’s not important enough to base your whole life off of. Money comes and goes.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“For what it’s worth, money aside, I think he would make you happy,” Chloe finally said after a bit of silence, just as Reina looked down to read the neglected text. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki: Are we sure we can’t move the date up by a few hours? I’m beginning to miss you way too much, my heart can’t bear it, my sweet little angel ;) </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re probably right,” Reina mumbled softly, a little smile falling back onto her lips. Chloe watched her for another moment before sighing and walking over to take a seat next to Reina. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t plan to do the same thing, right?” Chloe asked quietly, glancing over at Reina before looking down at her hands. “It was so hard turning your friends away when they would come to the door. They were all so confused, and I felt so bad not being able to just tell them everything. It was already weird enough telling them that we weren’t biologically your family, but it was even harder to have to deny giving them any means of communication with you. You’re a coward for that, and you shouldn’t do it again.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that,” Reina agreed with a little nod. “I am a coward for what I’ve done in the past.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I could do it again,” Chloe declared, shaking her head at the thought of it. “Kyoya has my number. If you abandon them, I can’t promise that I’ll cover for you again.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I can do it again, either. Not to him,” Reina admitted, lifting her gaze from Tamaki’s response about being disappointed that the date couldn’t start right away once she had told him they couldn’t move the time up. Chloe looked back over at Reina, who was staring forward with a smile on her face. “I could never. It would hurt much too much for me, and I would never want to hurt him in any way, either. I told him that, too. I told him about everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My, my, you really are a changed person,” Chloe mocked, then narrowed her eyes at Reina. “Everything?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“About how I stop talking to people? Yeah, everything about that,” she nodded, and Chloe narrowed her eyes even further. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But not </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Have you told him about, you know, what happened in France?” She asked, her voice going low. “Or like, the aftermath?” Chloe knew the answer after her conversation with Tamaki the night prior, but had to keep up with her innocent act. Reina let out a huff and glanced over at Chloe. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, that’s so unnecessary. There are some things better left behind, you know?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, unless it still bothers you,” Chloe pointed out, which made Reina scrunch up her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay in your lane, sis. I’m fine,” Reina said flatly, getting a little laugh out of Chloe from the ‘sis’ comment, but it was short-lived as she slowly grew more serious. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, you can say you’re fine and all, but that’s still such a recent thing. You’d be lying to both of us if you said you didn’t still think about it, so if things are serious with Tamaki, you’ll have to talk about it at some point. You’re only hurting yourself by closing yourself off to others. I know you don’t talk to any of our family about it, your mom was never around during it in the first place, and I doubt that’s something you want to talk to your dad about, even if he was around during it. You have to confide in someone, and if it’s not going to be me, I’d like it to be someone I like, so it has to be Tamaki,” Chloe declared matter-of-factly. Reina rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is that like a rule or something now? I can’t talk to someone about my issues unless you approve?” She asked, getting a tiny ‘mhm’ from Chloe, so Reina finally let out a tiny laugh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not that there’s anyone else I’d want to talk to anyway, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, a gentle smile still on her lips. “Fine, but I also have some ground rules for you tonight, so we’ll just swap our guidelines,” Reina said simply, ignoring the tiny groan from Chloe as she began to list off the ‘don’ts’ of the night. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like I need to remind you,” Reina whispered over to Chloe, though Kaoru and Tamaki’s head instinctively turned over. Tamaki had taken it upon himself to take out the family limo for the excursion, despite Reina insisting the four of them could have fit inside a regular vehicle while the other two drove separately. Hiroto and Emica, though grateful, decided to just take Hiroto’s car to the venue. Since it was a group date, Reina and Hiroto had landed on mini golf, and the only one with any complaints had been Kaoru, though he seemed to be more into it once Reina explained that they likely wouldn’t do all 18 holes. “Hiroto and Emica don’t know, so when I introduce you, you’re my friend,” Reina said cautiously, this time even quieter to try and divert the attention away from them, though she knew deep down, it wouldn’t. She also knew that Chloe wouldn’t keep the conversation quiet, judging by how angry she had been about it when Reina mentioned it earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Chloe said simply, her voice at a standard level as she crossed her arms. “Sisters.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Such close friends that we’re like sisters, I don’t care how you phrase it, don’t make me explain this shit tonight please,” Reina whispered back, ignoring as the boys glanced over at each other. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Reina, aren’t these people like your only other friends?” Kaoru pointed out, which made Reina whip her head in his direction, her nose scrunched. “Why haven’t you told them? It’s not a big deal.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly, thank you, Kaoru,” Chloe said with a grin, but Reina kept her eyes on Kaoru.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If you </span>
  <em>
    <span>must</span>
  </em>
  <span> know, I do have other friends,” Reina retorted, shaking her head a little at the insinuation. “I’m so, so sorry that I don’t discuss my daily life in full depth and haven’t made you fully aware of every single friend of mine from Ouran. But besides that, if it were up to me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>nobody</span>
  </em>
  <span> would know </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> about my life, so it is kind of a big deal to me. Thanks for the input,” she said, slumping into her seat. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, don’t bite my head off. You have other friends and it is a big deal, I’m sorry,” Kaoru said quickly, holding his hands up in defense, but Chloe let out a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mind her, she gets </span>
  <em>
    <span>suuuuper</span>
  </em>
  <span> defensive when she’s nervous. We were still arguing about this before you guys showed up to get us, so she’s been all huffy this whole time,” Chloe mused, turning over to the red faced girl next to her. “Reina, quit being rude, I won’t say anything to jeopardize your secret little life,” Chloe assured, sending a little wink to Kaoru as Reina turned her head to look out the window, crossing her arms over her chest with another little huff. Kaoru watched Reina for another moment before turning to Tamaki, who was also watching Reina with an indistinguishable expression on his face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should have sat next to her so I could be comforting her right now, it doesn’t seem like Chloe is all too great at that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought mournfully, but it didn’t really seem like Reina was interested in any more conversation anyway. With that realization in mind, Tamaki turned to Kaoru, his face turning sour.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are the other two doing on their date?” Tamaki asked quietly, though he should have known from Reina’s failed attempt, Kaoru would not be the only one to hear. Reina’s gaze remained fixated out the window, but Chloe’s attention diverted to the two boys, catching the tail end of Kaoru’s shrug. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dinner and a movie, I think. I’m pretty sure that’s what they settled on.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They?” Tamaki asked, scrunching up his own nose. “Haruhi helped plan their first date?” He asked with a tone of astonishment. “And they landed on </span>
  <em>
    <span>dinner and a movie?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She should have just come with us instead.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She?” Chloe asked, which sent both of the boy’s wide eyes in her direction. They were worried that they had let a secret slip, but as they should have figured, Chloe had already been informed about that from Kyoya. “You said she and not them. You’re saying that Haruhi should have just seventh-wheeled on a date with us instead of just having Hikaru come with?” After a moment of thought, Tamaki gave a single nod. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Hikaru should have planned a better date for them, and I could have entertained her for the night,” Tamaki practically declared, but very shortly after the words left his mouth, he realized the mistake he had made. It was only for a split second, but everyone saw it. Reina glanced over at the pale Tamaki before turning back towards the window silently, but not showing any emotion. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>We</span>
  </em>
  <span> could have entertained her, she would have had fun with us!” He tried to save, but Reina still didn’t look back at them. Kaoru gave Tamaki a smack to the back of his head, and even with that sound, Reina didn’t glance back. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with dinner and a movie, it’s a pretty standard first date,” Chloe mentioned as coolly as she could, though her arms had crossed as she narrowed her eyes at Tamaki. The pale blonde was still staring at Reina, who wasn’t looking anywhere near him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> “Nothing’s wrong with dinner and a movie,” Reina confirmed, surprising all of them just a bit. “Tamaki and I’s first date consisted of fast food, and I still thought he had fun. Maybe not, though,” she added casually as she took another short peek back at Tamaki, who now was distraught. When the car stopped at their destination, Reina grabbed her purse and slipped out of the car quickly, not waiting for anyone as she headed up towards the front, checking her phone briefly to see if there was any text from Hiroto or Emica, but there wasn’t one from either of them. Kaoru and Chloe both turned to Tamaki with furrowed eyebrows, though he could hardly tell as he stared out the window at Reina walking alone. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell is your problem, boss? You were doing so good,” Kaoru noted. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t realize that this was a love triangle,” Chloe mused slightly, however, her scolding expression hadn’t changed. “I wish I would have known that before I told Reina that I thought you were good,” she said. This time, Kaoru could tell that she was just trying to stir the pot even more, and he sort of appreciated it. “I’ll have to revoke that approval.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no love triangle!” Tamaki argued as he snapped out of his trance and hurriedly started to climb out of the car. “Reina is the only girl I like, Haruhi is my daughter,” he called behind his shoulder before he jumped out onto the ground and headed off to catch up with the fiery redhead. Chloe’s confusion only furthered, so she glanced at Kaoru for some sort of answer to Tamaki’s statement. Kaoru let out a huff as he climbed out of the car, then held his hand out for Chloe, who climbed out with his assistance. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, it’s a weird thing. I wouldn’t even ask about the daughter thing if I were you,” he mentioned as they picked up their speed to try and catch up with Tamaki. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, it kind of sounds like something I want information on. Even if it’s just out of curiosity. I won’t mention it again if you promise to tell me about it later,” Chloe added with a giggle. Kaoru glanced over at her for a moment before giving her a short nod accompanied by a small smile. By the time the rest of the group caught up to Reina, she had already paid for six passes to go inside. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I was going to pay for myself,” Kaoru said, then glanced at Chloe. “And my date,” he added swiftly, though she didn’t seem to mind either way - so long as she wasn’t the one paying. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, just take it as my apology then,” Reina said, giving him a weak little smile as she took the golf balls from the employee, then gave the teenager a nod and an extra appreciative thank you as she turned back around, leading them away from the counter as a line grew behind them. “I don’t have any texts from them, so I’m guessing they’ll be here soon,” Reina said, giving the group another tiny smile and an uncomfortable nod as she started to hand out the items to everyone. She saved Tamaki for last, and he took not only his own, but the other three in his hands as well. He held onto the four multi-colored golf balls in one hand and then tucked the putters against his arm and side.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I would have paid for all of us,” Tamaki said softly down to Reina, not trying to provoke her any further, though his eyebrows had involuntarily furrowed down at her as he was a little frustrated with her insistence on paying, considering the fact that his morals firmly lying in the fact that he should be the one to pay. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, but I invited you, and since it’s a group date with my only two friends then I should pay,” Reina mused back up at him, evident that her nerves and previous coldness had started to subside as she gave him a tiny little nudge and a beam. His expression softened at the sight of her newfound calmness, slowly giving a tiny nod back down at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>As long as I pay for everything else for the rest of our lives, then this is fine,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he rationalized. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I loved our first date,” he blurted out. Reina blinked back up at him before reaching out and grabbing onto his free hand. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” She asked genuinely, getting a rapid nod in response. “Well then remember that, and remind yourself that Hikaru and Haruhi will probably have fun as well. Exactly like we did,” she told him, raising her eyebrows just a bit as if he should have known that while giving his hand a squeeze. He gave a slow nod, but then grimaced. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> like us. Ours was better,” he rebutted. Reina rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond, but before any more conversation could happen, Hiroto and Emica bounded up towards them, and they all got ready to play. After dispersing the golf balls and putters to the new couple, they all headed out towards the course. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Reina, in this game, I’m going to beat you,” Hiroto swore, glancing over at Reina who simply rolled her eyes back at him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s funny, I’ve definitely heard that one from you, so I’m inclined to believe that once again, you’re wrong,” Reina said simply, tossing her ball in the air once and catching it, then turned to Hiroto as they made it to the first hole. “But since you’re so cocky, you can go first. This one is a par three, so good luck on that,” Reina said, motioning him towards the starting spot. Hiroto let out a tiny huff before turning to start. Emica turned to Chloe, giving her a big grin. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto told me that someone else would be joining us! You’re one of Reina’s friends, right? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Emica,” she said cheerfully, the girls exchanging a quick handshake. “How did you two meet?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s actually a funny story,” Chloe said smugly, looking behind her shoulder to look at Reina, who she knew was definitely listening in. “We’re actually host sisters!” Reina’s face paled and she bit the inside of her cheek as hard as she possibly could, the hand holding her golf ball clenching into a fist as she looked away, trying to decide how quickly she could end this little group activity. Kaoru and Tamaki both stiffened, glancing between the girls. “I came and lived with her briefly when she lived in Italy, so I joined in on their family! Then when I went back home, her family moved to France as well, so we’ve been so close ever since!” Chloe doted, which made Emica give a huge grin, beginning to ask more questions about what Italy was like. Chloe began to enthusiastically recount some fake memories that were a mix of Reina’s stories and just some gibberish that sounded right. Both the boys let out a little breath of relief, but Reina didn’t seem amused in the slightest.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Was ‘friend’ so fucking hard for her ego?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina muttered under her breath to Tamaki in French as Kaoru stepped up to begin his turn after Hiroto had successfully made it in the hole in the 3 strokes. Tamaki watched Chloe for another moment before looking down at Reina, his expression soft. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You know, I get it. I understand Chloe’s predicament,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki said quietly back, which made Reina glance up at him, eyebrows furrowed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I see my host club as a family, and when they try to deny us as a family, I get upset too,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he admitted, giving her a comforting smile and rubbing the back of his knuckles against her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“She sees you guys as family, and if a little lie is what it costs for her to be able to brag about that, it seems like it might be necessary for her,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he said, casting a smile down at Reina, who had turned to look back at Chloe. She was currently talking about some more old memories from when they lived together while Emica listened intently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Labels can be really important to some people, I understand it,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki said softly, giving Reina a soft kiss on the temple before stepping forward to start his own turn, just as the frustrated Kaoru walked over to Reina after it had just taken him five strokes to get it in the hole. Reina’s face had gone back to it’s pale shade as she watched after Tamaki, who was excitedly preparing himself. Kaoru stood next to her, leaning against his putter as he looked over to the new group of three, who had moved to a conversation about Ouran and their studies. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like they’re getting along well,” Kaoru mentioned, then looked back down at Reina, who’s eyes were fixated on Tamaki. “Everything okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you were right,” Reina said quietly, shifting her weight to one leg with a tiny little sigh. “He just told me that labels are important to some people, and basically implied that he was one of those people,” she recalled, looking at Kaoru. He thought back to their conversation in the host club room and he gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So my question still stands, then. If he asks, will you say yes?” He asked, but they were cut off by Tamaki cheering for himself after making it after only two hits. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the girl's turns next! Maybe my competitive angel can start them off, and try to beat my score of two?” Tamaki suggested, his eyes twinkling as he turned back to Reina. She couldn’t help but giggle, giving him a big grin. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said, about to step forward, but not before glancing up at Kaoru. “Yeah, I will,” she said with a nod, knowing he would understand her double meaning. As Reina and Tamaki switched spots, Kaoru looked to Tamaki. He was still leaning against his putter, watching as Tamaki swaggered in his direction, a clear confidence filling his aura. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So boss, you two still aren’t official yet, huh?” Kaoru asked just as Tamaki took his place next to him to watch Reina. Tamaki’s confidence seemed to be knocked down a few pegs, but he kept his eyes on Reina who had just hit the ball for the first time, sending it all the way down to the hole but just barely missing it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not yet,” Tamaki responded, taking a glance over at Kaoru as Reina made her way over to finish her turn. “I’m waiting until she’s ready.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And you don’t think she’s ready?” Kaoru asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly. Tamaki blinked as he began to think about it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to ruin anything, on the chance that she’s not,” Tamaki finally concluded, smiling a little as Reina turned to him with a cheesy grin, as she had also made it into the hole after only two strokes. “I’ll wait as long as she needs. I don’t mind waiting. I think I’m going to marry her, and I don’t need to do that tomorrow.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>But I wish I could. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaoru nodded slowly then watched as Reina joined Tamaki’s side once more. As one of his arms instinctively wrapped around her, she beamed up at him, but also shot a short smile in Kaoru’s direction. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This would be much easier if I wasn’t trying to play both sides, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaoru thought to himself, but couldn’t help but smile to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They’ll figure it out, though. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgot to ask,” Reina said, looking over at Hiroto just as their waiter had left after dropping off the food. “Does our class normally do a cast party after the show?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sort of,” he responded, not delaying for even a moment to pick up his fork to begin eating. “They haven’t done a party since I’ve been involved, I guess nobody has offered up their house, we normally just go get dinner afterwards.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well we’re in luck, because my mom said I could totally throw a party. And you have the older siblings who are able to supply the booze, so I think we’d be pretty set,” Reina said with a grin, which made Tamaki immediately turn to her. “As an American, I know all the best party games,” she mused, shrugging one of her shoulders smugly. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’d be so fun!” Hiroto said with a grin, which threw Tamaki a little off his train of thought. He was initially going to condemn the idea of a party with alcohol, especially with Reina involved, but he didn’t want to ruin the new atmosphere of excitement. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s a cast party, but could I come?” Emica asked with a sheepish little smile. “It does sound fun, there aren’t too many parties that are thrown with people who I trust.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How we normally do it is that dinner is for the theatre group only, then anyone could come for dessert. So we probably would do it the same way, maybe the first hour or so with just us and then I think it’s fair game,” Hiroto responded just before stuffing his mouth with a forkful of food, which Emica giggled at. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that mean we’re invited, too?” Kaoru asked, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly at Reina who let out her own laugh. Tamaki reached across the table and gave Kaoru a swift punch on the shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not supposed to be condoning this,” he hissed softly, casting a glance back at Reina who was just looking up at him, thoroughly amused. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that means no,” Reina said with a little giggle, cocking one of her eyebrows. “Tamaki, if you’re not comfortable with it, then you don’t have to come,” she pointed out, which he immediately scoffed at. Hiroto let out a tiny chuckle, but Chloe was much louder with her own laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on, Tamaki. It’s just alcohol. It’s not like anyone said anything about cocaine or heroin or anything,” Chloe said quietly, seemingly too quiet for anyone else to hear, though Reina caught it as well. Had Tamaki been in a chair as opposed to the booth, he would have toppled the chair back into the ground at the mere idea of harder drugs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I could never allow her to do anything like that,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself. Reina let out her own giggle as she turned to the confused members of the party. She assumed that Chloe must have said the words in French so she opened her mouth to translate, but then sat still for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I know the words in Japanese, either,” she realized, blinking as she thought about it. Looking back up at them, she flicked her nose twice with her pointer finger, then mimed herself injecting something into her arm, accompanied by a little laugh. “You know? I can’t think of the words,” she reiterated. The other three let out a little laugh as they realized what she was referring to, giving little nods. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think they’re pronounced the same, just nobody heard her,” Emica explained, which made Reina blink, her cheeks going pink out of embarrassment. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense why all I could think of was the actual words,” Reina laughed softly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you know to make those gestures?” Tamaki almost shrieked, but was able to keep his voice down for the sake of the other restaurant attendees. His eyes were narrowed as he looked down at her and when she finally met his gaze, she let out a little giggle. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like it’s pretty common knowledge. Everyone knew what I was talking about, right?” Reina pointed out, sending him a little smirk, but he didn’t seem too convinced of her answer. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know Reina, you seemed pretty pro at that cocaine gesture,” Kaoru sang, getting a quick glare from Tamaki. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d say the heroin one was pretty spot on, too,” Chloe teased, exchanging a little glance with Kaoru as they each smirked, more than willing to egg each other on for the sake of more excitement. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well I’ve definitely never done heroin,” Reina laughed, but stopped there, which made Tamaki’s eyes narrow even more as he waited for the follow-up. “Literally everyone will do coke at some point in their life, that’s not a big deal, I just happened to try it early in mine.” Tamaki, almost too astonished to speak, just let his jaw drop. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know who does cocaine like, all the time? Yuma,” Hiroto said, turning everyone’s attention away from the shocked blonde still staring down at Reina. Reina let out a short little giggle as she let one of her hands down, clasping it on Tamaki’s thigh to try and soothe him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what? That tidbit doesn’t surprise me even in the slightest. He seems like the type,” Reina said with a little grin. Tamaki did find quite a bit of comfort in her hand on him, so he finally found the strength to speak once more. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew I didn’t like him,” he mumbled softly, and Hiroto let out almost a mocking laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There are a lot of reasons not to like him, and the drug is very low on that list,” Hiroto said, then leaned over to Emica. “If you come to the party, I’m keeping you very far from him,” he mentioned softly. Emica completely adored the protective statement and her cheeks blushed up as she glanced back up at Hiroto, giving a rapid little nod. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there something wrong with the dude?” Kaoru asked curiously, and Hiroto gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not necessarily, just kind of a creep. We’re friends and all, but he’s just - yeah. A creep. He doesn’t even say shit I could even try to justify, just weird gross shit. I’m not saying he would try anything, I’m just saying I won’t be trusting my girlfriend in the same room as him,” Hiroto said, eyes twinkling slightly at the girlfriend comment. Emica’s face perked up into a wide grin but she didn’t draw too much attention to it, aside from glancing over at Reina. Reina bit down on her lip in a big grin, his nose scrunching slightly as she gave Emica a very subtle thumbs up from across the table, which Hiroto caught and couldn’t help but chuckle at. Kaoru gave a little nod in understanding before glancing over at Tamaki, who was definitely deep in thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They haven’t been talking for nearly as long as Reina and I have been, yet they’re dating? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought, before catching Kaoru’s glance and realized that they must have been thinking the same thing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if Kaoru was right, maybe she is ready for that kind of commitment,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he wondered, just as he felt her squeeze his leg softly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was that a sign? That I was thinking about whether or not she was ready, and then she squeezed my leg? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Once again, he felt a little squeeze. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It must be! She must be ready! Am I thinking this, or am I saying this?! No, I’m definitely thinking it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tama?” Reina said quietly for the third time, which finally pulled him out of his thoughts as he darted his head over in her direction. “Can you, uh, get up really quick? I have to run to the bathroom,” she said softly, giving him a little smile, though her eyebrows were furrowed slightly. He nodded and hastily jumped up. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said with a tiny laugh, letting Reina climb out. Chloe jumped up from her chair, since she and Kaoru had been seated in chairs as opposed to the booths that the other two couples had been in. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll come with,” she grinned. Emica gave Hiroto a little tap and he instinctively jumped up, letting her out as well. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Emica said with a little smile. Reina let out a tiny little giggle as she jumped up, giving Tamaki a quick peck on the cheek to say thank you before departing with the other two. Hiroto gave a quick eye roll as she sat back down. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So weird how girls do that,” he noted, getting a tiny little chuckle from the other two. “Funny enough, I definitely have to pee as well.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Funny you should say that, because I was just thinking that too,” Kaoru mused. Tamaki let out another little laugh, taking a seat and leaning back against the booth. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably the icees that Reina got us all when we were mini golfing. I guess we’ll just have to do as the women do and go together when they get back,” Tamaki said with another little laugh. Hiroto furrowed his eyebrows, ready to back out of that adventure, but then realized he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> did have to pee and decided to just accept it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, in the women’s restroom, each girl hurried into a stall. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Girlfriend? Emica, cute! You have to tell me everything!” Reina called from over the walls, hearing some loud laughter from the other two. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if it was all too cute to be honest, but I loved it,” Emica finally said as she was finishing up. “I met his mom and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> me. He kind of teased me and said that since his mom approved, we could be official,” she started, heading out to wash her hands, shortly followed by the other two who came out to do the same. “So I asked when exactly that would be, and he told me sometime soon. I kind of expected it to be in a few weeks, but he waited about three seconds before asking me if I would be his girlfriend. I was actually surprised, I loved it! I can’t believe I can finally say I have a boyfriend!” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s so cute!” Both Reina and Chloe gushed, all of them drying their hands off before leaning up against the counter, using the opportunity to talk a little longer. Emica gave a wide grin, letting out a tiny squeal. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I definitely need to be a bridesmaid in your wedding,” Reina teased, crossing her arms a little as Emica let out another tiny giggle. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know about all that yet, but we might,” she admitted, biting down on her lip as she looked down at the ground. “I do like him.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so happy for you both,” Reina grinned. Emica glanced back up, a big smile on her own face. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Me and my date are already engaged, you both can be bridesmaids if you want,” Chloe joked, a cheesy grin on her face. Reina rolled her eyes, a little laugh escaping her lips. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maid of honor or nothing. And to think, I introduced you both to your future husbands. Wow, just call me Cupid,” Reina smirked, getting another little giggle from Emica and Chloe.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And what about you and Tamaki? When will you two be official?” Emica asked, and Reina gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“When he asks. If he asks. We’re like, free birds, I don’t know if ‘labels’ are our thing,” she teased, her tone more than clear that she was joking, but Chloe gagged nevertheless at Reina’s words. Emica giggled a little and pushed herself off of the counter, heading over to the door. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, he’ll ask, I’m sure of it,” Emica said with a little nod, pushing the door open for all three of them and they headed back to the table. The sight they all caught was definitely an interesting one. Each boy looked distressed, to say the least. Tamaki was bouncing one of his legs, and Kaoru was tapping his fingers against the table. Hiroto was biting the inside of his cheek. He was the first to see the girls so he jumped up, which made the other two do the same instantly. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Our turn,” Kaoru called out as they made their way to the bathroom. Tamaki, however, stopped briefly to give Reina a kiss on the cheek before following the other two guys. The girls all exchanged a little glance before letting out a little laugh, taking their seats. The boys almost raced to the bathrooms, but more so racing their bladders as opposed to racing each other. Luckily, the three made it in time. As they each finished, they sort of glanced around at one another to see if the others were going to wash their hands. When Tamaki stepped towards the sink, the other two followed. “What do girls even talk about in the bathroom? Do they talk when they’re peeing?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a sister, and she definitely will try and hold a conversation while peeing. Even if it’s on the phone, it’s weird,” Hiroto said with a little eye roll. “I can almost one hundred percent guarantee that they were talking about us.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure,” Tamaki agreed with a little nod, grabbing a paper towel and wiping his hands off. “Congrats on making it official,” he said genuinely, giving Hiroto a grin. Hiroto gave a tiny, uncomfortable laugh as he nodded to Tamaki as a thank you as he grabbed his own paper towel. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki still hasn’t done it,” Kaoru said, opting to just shake his hands dry and then quickly wiping away any stray water droplets off on his jeans. Hiroto gave a little shrug before turning to Tamaki, who was staring at him with pleading eyes, as if looking for advice. Hiroto blinked a few times before furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I’d say go for it. The night I drove you home - or just drove you, I guess, I thought about it and kind of came to the realization that I think she was hesitant on me because she liked you,” he admitted, giving another little shrug as he headed towards the door, trying to escape what felt like a hellish conversation. Tamaki looked back at Kaoru who gave him a little smile, and finally Tamaki gave a little nod as he bounded after Hiroto, who had already departed. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Hiroto,” Tamaki called, which made Hiroto stop and wait up for the other two. “Thanks,” he said genuinely, giving him a little nod as the three continued to walk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thanks for letting her go so I could have her is mostly what I meant. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Somehow, Hiroto knew that.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Please call more often,” Chloe pleaded, her hands clasping Reina’s. Reina gave a little nod, still a bit teary-eyed. “And please come visit! Please, we all miss you so much,” Chloe added, a little tear rolling down her cheek as she let out a tiny laugh. Reina nodded again, pulling her hands from Chloe’s to wrap her in a tight hug, which Chloe returned just as tightly, if not even more so. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I will, just give me time,” Reina promised, pulling back to look up at Chloe, some more tears coming down. “I really, really enjoyed seeing you. Thank you. I’m sorry if it didn’t feel that way at first.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s just Reina being Reina,” Chloe teased, wiping some of her own tears and spreading them onto Reina’s already damp cheek with a tiny laugh. “I got Tamaki’s number, so I’m just going to call him if you don’t answer.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not at all surprising,” Reina said, letting out a little laugh as she finally pulled back from the hug. Chloe’s tear stained face grew serious. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Reina,” she started softly, grabbing onto one of Reina’s hands with both of her own. “Don’t be afraid to let someone in. I’d like if you called me to talk about your problems, but it looks like you might have someone else here who can do that for you instead,” she continued. Reina felt more tears beginning to pool up in the corner of her eyes, just as Chloe squeezed her hand tighter. “He could be really good for you. Don’t be a dirty coward again,” Chloe added, which made Reina’s face scrunch up, though the tears still fell. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> “Come on, you’re going to miss your flight.” Chloe gave a little nod as she scooped her bag up from the ground. “Tell everyone I said hi and that I love them.” Chloe nodded once more as she gave a final little wave, then turned around and bounded off towards the airport doors. Reina stood and watched her for another moment, just to make sure she was inside before turning back towards the car that had been parked in the drop off spot and she climbed back in. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Back home?” The driver asked. Reina pulled her phone out to glance at the time. 9:23. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>that</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> late. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Either there or to the Suoh house, let me make a call,” Reina said as she dialed Tamaki’s number and pressed the phone to her ear. When Tamaki picked up the phone, Reina spoke first. “Hey, are you busy? Can I come over?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not busy, you can always come over, and are you crying?” He asked, the words almost jumbling together in his frantic answer. Reina let out a sad little laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A little. We just dropped Chloe off at the airport; I’m just a little emotional is all, it’s not bad cries. Don’t worry about that. I’ll be over in around 20-ish minutes, does that work?” She asked, looking up at the driver who gave a little nod, heading in the direction of Tamaki’s. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, my emotional angel, I’ll be here to comfort you when you get here.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Intimate Night In (54)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>A/N: Hey all! I haven’t used flashbacks yet mostly because I haven’t really needed to, or just because I want to write stuff more as it’s happening, but I’m trying to experiment with flashbacks so that I don’t have to set up an entire scene just for a tiny part I want to add in, or just to spice up the writing a little bit. All flashbacks will be in bold from here on out! I’d love to hear feedback! :) </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty Four</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki was standing watch on the door. The moment he heard her tiny little knock, he swung it open, leaving her stunned in her spot. Her hand was still in a fist in the spot she had knocked at, blinking back at him. After a short moment, she smiled, letting her hand fall back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you eager to see me or something?” She teased as she stepped in, taking her shoes off and beginning to pull her jacket off. Tamaki grabbed onto one of her arms and assisted her in pulling the jacket off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty much always eager to see you,” Tamaki teased right back, taking the jacket and hanging it on one of the hooks. “Are you tired? I was watching some movies in the family room, but we can go up to my room if you want.” Reina shook her head as she turned back to him, a sweet smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not tired at all. Actually, I’ve never really been anywhere in your house aside from your room and the dining room - I guess your dad’s office too, but still, I’d love to see more of it,” she beamed. Tamaki felt his heart flutter softly at the mention of her wanting to see more of his house, so after closing and locking the front door, he took grip of her hand and led her towards the family room. It was cozy, with a large sectional and a fireplace, though no fire was currently burning in it, and it almost looked more like decor than anything. There was some artwork on the wall, but it wasn’t nearly as extravagantly designed as the rest of the house was. In fact, Reina even noticed that it wasn’t quite as divine as even Tamaki’s room. It was clear that it was definitely made to look more home-like than the rest of the house. Tamaki had a drink on the coffee table, alongside an unopened water bottle that he had retrieved for Reina when he had received her call. “It’s so cute!” She gushed, grinning even more so when he led her over to the sectional. Tamaki plopped back down on the chaise lounge part, leaving more than enough room for her to lay next to him, which she did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you feeling okay?” He asked as both of his arms wrapped around her, allowing her to turn into him and rest her head on his collarbone. She gave a soft little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ll see her again. Just sad for a few minutes,” Reina said, looking up at him with a little smile. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before nodding as well. Reina turned her attention back to the movie, though it was already half over and she had no clue what was happening. Tamaki’s hands started to make slow circles against her body, every so often dropping little kisses on the top of her head. His hands had accidentally started to pull her shirt up with their movements, and Reina’s cheeks flooded red as soon as she noticed. She started to pull the shirt back down, glancing up at him. “Don’t do that, what if someone walks in?” She asked with a tiny laugh. He pressed his lips against her nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All the staff goes home after dinner,” he mumbled, keeping his hands pressed against her. Reina furrowed her eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, but what if your dad came in?” She asked, and he pulled her body even closer to his own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He doesn’t come back over here once he goes home,” he explained. Reina blinked once, trying to process his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean he doesn’t come back down here, once he goes to his room?” She tried, blinking a few more times. He furrowed his own eyebrows, shaking his head. “Pardon?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, once he goes home,” he said slowly, sitting up a little bit to look down at her, his mind reeling through all of their conversations. “I could have sworn that I told you this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Told me that your dad doesn’t live here with you?” She asked, a new tone of shock in her voice. “No, I think I would remember that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He lives next door,” Tamaki explained, now sitting all the way up, and Reina quickly followed his lead in that action. “I told you about my grandmother, right?” He asked, and Reina gave a soft little nod. “They both live next door. This is technically the guest house. She wasn’t thrilled with the idea of sharing a roof with me, so this was the compromise,” he told her. Reina’s eyes glossed over as she reached up, touching his cheek gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki…” She said quietly, just watching him as he gave a little smile back down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be sad, I don’t mind. I can understand, she had to deal with a teenager once in her life and didn’t want to have to deal with it again,” he assured, though they both knew he wasn’t fooling anyone. That clearly wasn’t the reason he was living separately. “Besides, if I did live with her, I’m not sure I would be able to have you spend the night as much as you do. I don’t know if I could handle that,” he told her, eyes twinkling, though hers remained sad and glossy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she finally said quietly, her thumb beginning to stroke against his cheek. “That’s not fair to you,” she said solemnly, which made his breath hitch for just a moment, before he relaxed back into her delicate touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I enjoy having my freedom and my privacy with you,” he told her tenderly, his hands running back to her waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does it hurt you?” She asked Tamaki, which made him think for a moment. “I understand if it does,” Reina reminded him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I was shipped off, I get this. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It might a little,” he admitted, but continued to hold her against him with a little smile on his lips. “But I’ve told you before that I believe everything will work itself out for the best. I can withstand a little bit of confusion and pain,” he reiterated, giving her an extra large beam. “And I get to have you here, so that makes everything better!” He pointed out. Reina watched him for a moment before nodding softly, finally sure that he wasn’t downplaying his emotions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you ever get lonely?” She asked seriously. “Being alone here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really, no. You’ve been around, you see that my dad makes it a point to make it to meals with me. He spends morning coffee with my grandmother before coming over here, spends his lunches over there, and has dinner with me. Grandmother eats dinner early so I think he occasionally sits in with her without eating. By the time he’s leaving, I’m ready to go to my room,” he explained, getting another little nod from Reina. “Are you sure I didn’t tell you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m more than sure. I would have been able to be much louder without worrying about who would hear us,” Reina noted, her words making his cheeks flash to a deep red. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that explains why she always seems to try and be so quiet,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he realized suddenly. “I also would have known that we would have had more freedom to do other stuff,” she quietly told him, her eyes now twinkling with some mischief. He cocked an eyebrow at her, his grip on her waist tightening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” He attempted to ask coolly, though his voice had much too much enthusiasm in it for it to come out that way. Reina moved swiftly, moving her arms around his neck as she pulled herself into his lap, straddling him easily. Tamaki relaxed back into the couch, closing his eyes as Reina began to give him little kisses across his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” she sang teasingly, one of her fingers drawing tiny circles against his neck. “I thought it would be kind of fun to do this one specific thing with you,” she mumbled against his skin, pressing herself further into his lap, which made a tiny gasp escape him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What might that be, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” He asked, his voice just as eager as it had been before. Reina smirked softly against his cheek before moving to the other side, mirroring the kiss marks she had already given. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought it would be really fun,” she said quietly, pausing to drop a few more kisses against him. “If we,” she added, giving him a few more. “Came down here, really late at night one day,” she elaborated, giving yet another pause to peck his lips a few times, feeling the soft smile on his own. “And baked,” she finished, trying not to laugh as she gave him a few more kisses against his jaw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pardon?” He asked after a moment of silence. She giggled a bit at his usage of the word she had been using. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like making cookies or something and not having to worry about waking up your dad with the noise. I just thought that would be a fun thing to do. Why, what were you thinking, Mister Suoh?” She teased, pulling back to look at his red face. He thought over his words, understanding that she was joking but still wanting to get it right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That does sound like fun,” he admitted, his hands tightening against her waist as he abruptly tugged her back down onto him, taking her by surprise. “We should do that later. I can think of another thing, though,” he mentioned, looking back up at her, his confidence regaining swiftly. She cocked her head to the side, a little smirk playing on her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what might that be?” Reina asked, her hair falling into her face a little bit with the cocking of her head, so he reached up to tuck it behind her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’d be more comfortable now knowing the living arrangements, I’d melt to hear just how loud you can be for me,” his charming voice rang, keeping his hand on the side of her face. His calm demeanor didn’t at all reflect the rapid heartbeat thumping throughout his whole chest. Reina tilted her head further into his hand as she ran one of her own hands up and down his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think maybe I could do that for you,” she mumbled, turning her head to kiss his hand. Tamaki, though eager to take her, stopped in his tracks. He watched as her eyelashes fluttered shut and she pressed her lips to his hand once more. He could feel her relax against him, her fingertips still softly grazing against his shirt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She looks so innocent. When I look at her, I want nothing bad to ever happen to her, even if something already did. Like Chloe said, the only thing I could do now is make sure nothing happens from here on out,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, unable to stop himself from the next words that flashed through his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, are you on any pills?” He blurted out. Reina’s eyes reopened as she turned to look at him. His cheeks were pink, but his expression had nothing but desperation and a sense of longing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please, confide in me, Reina, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he pleaded, and his eyes could show it. Sex on her mind, Reina gave a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“That’s funny, we must be having an off day. I thought I told you this, too,” she said quietly, continuing to rub her hand against his chest. “I am,” she declared somewhat confidently, which made Tamaki’s breath loudly hitch as his heart dropped. </span><em><span>She’s still not safe. I haven’t been keeping her safe, </span></em><span>he realized, preparing to jump up and rush over to her house to flush her stash. </span><em><span>I’ll get rid of everything, I’ll call Connor to see what he did the last time, I’ll keep her safe. I’ll get up as soon as I’m able to move, </span></em><span>he thought, now realizing he was completely frozen in a stunned state.</span> <span>“And I’ve been better at taking it. Does that mean you want to stop using condoms?” She asked, just a touch of apprehension in her voice, unsure of whether or not her assumption was correct. “Or are you just making sure?” </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” He flatly asked, his mind not even working correctly anymore. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What does her drug problem have anything to do with us using condoms? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m on birth control,” she explained, eyebrows furrowing just a little. “I think I told you that I had been taking it irregularly, but I’ve gotten better at it. I thought maybe that’s why you were asking, because you wanted to drop using condoms,” she said quietly, watching as his face seemed to change to that of determination. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to clarify what I meant, and ask the real questions. “Reina, are you still using those bad pills? The ones that Chloe told me about? The ones that could ruin your life?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it.. Better, without a condom?” Were the only words that he could form, his mind darting back to his original plan. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell? Ask the real questions. The important questions. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina smiled softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never tried,” she responded, settling herself further into his lap. “We don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, I just thought that was why you had asked.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, my turn to talk. Ask Reina about what I need to actually talk to her about,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he scowlded to himself. Though his mind was trying to force him to push him to talk about the more serious topics, his hands moved down to her bare thighs, slowly beginning to lift up her skirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you comfortable with that?” He asked softly, glancing down as his hands planted against the sides of her hips, the tops of his fingers beginning to play with the bottom of the concealing silk of her underwear. Reina took a short moment as she thought about it, her hips still slowly rolling against him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m comfortable with it with you,” she finally admitted, both to him and to herself. Tamaki’s eyes fluttered for just a moment before he leaned forward, pressing his lips softly against hers as he pushed his hands harder into her skin, forcing her down onto his lap much more intimately than she had been in her half-hovering state. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll ask about it later, we have all the time in the world,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he rationalized, trying to push away the negative thoughts he was feeling about being a bad person for casting aside what he felt should have been more important. Reina’s head with much clearer than his was, only wondering how much better sex with Tamaki could be. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve always been told the sex is better without condoms by far, but I just can’t truly picture it being much better than it already is,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought as she bounced against him once, hearing a little grunt from his partially parted lips. She pulled back, one of her hands moving to his shoulder as she started to climb off of him, but he stopped her. “We should continue this up in your room,” she mused, looking over at him, but determination had entered his gaze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t need to though,” he mentioned, glancing around at the oversized chaise lounge they were on. Reina blinked back at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d be comfortable with having sex down here?” She asked, furrowing her eyebrows as he gave a tiny, sheepish nod. Reina thought about it for a moment before nodding back, keeping her hand on his shoulder as she leaned in, giving him soft kisses against his neck. “Okay. But don’t undress me, just in case someone does end up walking in,” she compromised as he moved one of his hands to play with her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How unfair of you to restrict my eyes from seeing your heavenly body, but I think I can make do,” he mused, letting his head fall back as she bit his skin softly as a reaction to his words in a teasing manner. “At least until we make our ways back upstairs at the end of the night.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might be cold, maybe I’ll need to bundle up for the night,” Reina teased, smiling against his neck when she felt him give a petite tug on a little bundle of her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be sure to keep you more than warm tonight,” he mumbled, letting out another soft groan as she bit down on another section of his skin, closer to his collarbone now and free game for hickeys. Tamaki’s free hand began to wander, beginning to position the couple for their new experience. He slid his hand between their bodies, hooking one of his fingers against the side of her underwear and tugging it over to the side, allowing his entry past the cloth. Just as she began to suck on his chest, his middle finger slipped inside of her which caused a soft moan against his skin. They both began to work on the other, and quite vigorous with their work, at that. Reina moved onto new parts of his skin, leaving tiny hickeys and bites all across his chest. Tamaki continued to slip his finger in and out of her, pushing his index finger in to accompany the first which received an even louder moan from Reina’s end. She began to roll her hips against his fingers, assisting them in their work. Tamaki moved his hand out from her hair and placed it square in the middle of her lower back, pressing against her to pull her body even closer into him. She finally moved her lips away from him, sitting up as she continued to roll her hips against him for just a moment, a loud moan flying out as he pushed his thumb against her clitorus briefly, pushing on it just enough with each of his finger’s thrusts to send her a shock of pleasure. Tamaki took that as his opportunity to look up at her, just as another little moan slipped out of her lips. Her eyes were closed and she let her head fall forward just a bit, her face still visible for him to see. Reina took in a sharp breath before biting down on her bottom lip, eyes shutting even tighter, which made chills go up Tamaki’s body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki?” She asked quietly between her breaths, which made him slow down, watching as her eyes fluttered open to meet his gaze, a familiar pleading look staring back at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>her French voice almost whispered, a sharp gasp commencing as he pushed his fingers back inside her. Reina’s eyes closed again and she pushed her hips further back into him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please, fuck me,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she said, this time in English. Tamaki felt another chill go up his spine, and this time it read through even on his face. His jaw dropped slightly as he tried to speak but the words couldn’t form the first time he tried to talk. Slowly, he swallowed before looking back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Such foul words for such a pretty girl,” he finally was able to mumble, his cheeks burning bright. Reina was able to compose herself now that his stimulation had stopped and she gave a little smirk, running one hand across his chest again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think it’s all that different from the other ways I’ve phrased it to you,” she said softly, leaning forward to place her lips right in front of his ear. “‘I want you to have sex with me’, ‘I need you to take me’, ‘make me orgasm’,” she listed off in a whisper, savoring each time she felt him jolt in another chill. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck me, please,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she repeated, almost sending his body into complete shock. It took him a moment, but after taking a deep breath, he finally pulled his fingers from their position and grabbed onto both of her hips, swiftly flipping them around to allow him to be on top. Reina took no time to hesitate as she started to pull his pants down, though didn’t allow them to go as far down as she normally would strive for, still worried about a possible intrusion. “I only speak that way for you,” Reina mumbled softly as Tamaki’s head dipped down to her neck, positioning himself in between her legs. “You’re the only one who gets to hear </span>
  <em>
    <span>such foul words,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she mused, throwing both of her legs around his waist and using them to tug his body closer just as he lifted his head to look back down at her, a softness in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?” He asked quietly, his hands landing on her waist. He started to play with the fabric of her shirt, still contemplating ripping it off of her. Reina gave a little nod, shimmying her body down the couch to move herself closer to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” she responded, reaching up and cupping his cheek, shooting a tender smile up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then in that case, they’re music to my ears, my little darling,” he said seriously, his hands gripping onto her waist tighter. Reina stroked his cheek a few times, maintaining their eye contact. Tamaki’s gaze was somehow so passionate and so gentle simultaneously. They stared up at each other for a few more moments, just enjoying the partial embrace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready to make more music for you, whenever you’re ready,” Reina finally teased, tugging him closer with her legs. He cracked a little smile before nodding and positioning himself once more to begin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should take a weekend trip,” Tamaki said softly as he moved behind Reina, who was bent over the counter with her nose in a cookbook. “I want to make up for our last trip.” She glanced back at him for a moment before smiling and turning back to the cookbook, moving her body back just a little bit, her ass pressing against his crotch. Tamaki’s hands landed on her waist as he peered over her shoulder, reading through the recipes she was flipping through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where were you thinking?” She asked, and he gave a little grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anywhere you want, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he responded, one of his hands moving up to scratch her back. She arched her back into him as she continued to skim through the pages, which only made him work more vigorously for her. “We have houses and cabins all over.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like where?” She asked, moving one of her hands to rest against his own that was still pressed against her waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just about anywhere you could think of in Japan. We have a few places outside of Japan, but that wouldn’t work for a weekend getaway,” he said, before another grin pressed against his lips. “Though I wouldn’t be opposed to spending more time with you, my angel.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My family is pretty endowed and even we only have a few getaway homes,” Reina mentioned, furrowing her eyebrows as she glanced back at him. He gave an understanding nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My family works with a lot of real estate, so only some of them are technically ours for forever. But any vacant property is fair game for any weekend we would want it for,” he explained, pushing one of his knuckles into a circle in a specific part of her back which made her eyes shut, giving him a little nod in return. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Real estate? Interesting, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she noted to herself, giving herself another moment of bliss before turning back to the cookbook. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well we still need to figure out a good time to go visit Connor - if you still wanted to come with me - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do,” he interrupted swiftly, which made her laugh softly and give another nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that works. So maybe we can find a weekend further towards the end of the year?” Reina suggested. “Or at least after we go see Connor, we have enough excitement in our lives, I think it could hold off.” Tamaki grimaced softly from behind her, subconsciously moving his body closer to her own, his mind going immediately to what the end of the year might have in store for them, but tried to push the thoughts aside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I would want to wait until the end of the year,” he admitted. He tried even harder to push the thoughts back, but they wouldn’t budge. “Were you thinking the end of the year would be a good final goodbye trip, in case you leave next year?” He practically blurted out. Reina was in the middle of a page turn when he spoke, immediately stiffening as the words came out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Final goodbye? No, I thought you still wanted to hear from me if I were to leave,” she teased softly, though her eyebrows were furrowed, which he didn’t catch since she was faced away from him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Final goodbye? </span>
  </em>
  <span>His own eyes widened at the realization of his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I misspoke,” he said quickly, biting down hard on his tongue. “But a year without you by my side would feel like an eternity, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It would feel like a final goodbye at the time,” he said. She braved herself enough to cast a glance back at him. His face was full of worry, but also a strong sense of genuineness that she couldn’t even mistake for anything else if she wanted to. “I was just curious about if that’s why you wanted to hold off until then,” he added now that they were making eye contact. Reina blinked before standing up straight, no longer leaning against the counter, but kept herself faced away from him as she turned the page in the cookbook once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, that wasn’t why,” she confided, smiling a little as he filled the gap between their bodies, only slightly pinning her against the counter. “I just thought it would be a nice thing to look forward to since we have the trip to go see Connor to look forward to now. But technically, we could take as many weekend trips as we wanted since it isn’t really costing us anything if we have the places to stay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The end of the year is coming up quicker than I would want it to,” Tamaki randomly blurted out. It was clear that he had been thinking about it and Reina could feel his hands tightening up around her. “Saying goodbye for any amount of time would be hard.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think the probability of me staying is much higher than the alternative. I would be shocked if they sent me to another country since I don’t have the language classes. I was thinking about it, and I kind of think they would have put me in another English class as a refresher. I know the language, obviously, but there are little things grammatically I’m sure I missed since I haven’t technically studied it in five years. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking since I want to stay.” Tamaki perked up a bit, wrapping his arms fully around her as he dropped his head down, his chin resting against her shoulder. He sent a little glance over in her direction as she flipped through a few more pages, a new grin on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you do want to stay with me then?” He asked, though it was much more of a statement than an actual question. Reina let out a short laugh, turning her head to the side just a bit to get a better look at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do,” she said, lifting her hand to play with a single strand of his hair teasingly. “I’ve grown to like you annoying me all the time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I hope to continue that,” he said, unphased by her joke of calling him annoying, the grin still widespread on his face. Reina gave a little smile before giving him a quick peck on the lips, then turned back down the cookbook that was on the last few pages. After finally reaching the end, she gave a little sigh, turning back around in his grasp to face him, her back pressed against the counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No cookie recipes in there. I guess I should have figured, it’s a cooking book and not a baking book, after all,” she said, which he laughed at, though she had initially said it seriously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could just plan to bake another night, maybe we can pick up a </span>
  <em>
    <span>baking book</span>
  </em>
  <span> tomorrow,” he teased. “We could just go upstairs,” he elaborated, eyes twinkling in a little mischief. Reina reached her hands up to run through his hair, the smile remaining on her lips. “Can I ask you a question?” He interrupted, just as she was about to agree. She gave a little nod back up at him. His mouth opened, but he paused, his cheeks pinkening. “Is, um, sex always that good?” He asked, his voice cracking with almost every word. Reina stared back up at him, a little stunned that he actually asked. She cleared her throat briefly before continuing to play with his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have heard it’s better without a condom,” she responded, but he furrowed his eyebrows a little, his cheeks going even darker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not really what I meant,” he admitted, glancing around the kitchen to divert his attention elsewhere. “With others, I meant.” Reina’s breath hitched in the middle of her inhale, her own cheeks turning pink as she thought back to their prior engagement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Tamaki’s lips met hers abruptly, still not moving any closer into actually being inside her. He liked when she would take some charge and pull him closer, but she decided to humor him by dropping her legs to his sides, delicately returning the kiss, one hand cupping his cheek ever so softly. She could hear the tiny reminiscences of a groan come from him, but he took it slow, at least for the moment. His hands wandered down from the tight grip he had on her waist to her thighs, slowly pushing them back up and underneath her skirt to grip onto her hips, his fingernails digging only slightly into her skin. Swiftly, he lifted her legs with his hold on her hips, practically forcing her to wrap her legs around him once more, which she easily obliged to. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Why am I nervous? It can’t be that different, </em>
  </b>
  <b>Reina thought to herself. Just as the thought had ended, Tamaki thrust his hips forward to meet her own. They each pulled out of their long kiss with a loud gasp, widened eyes staring back at each other. </b>
  <b>
    <em>That’s why I was nervous. It is that different. It is that much better, </em>
  </b>
  <b>Reina concluded, realizing that he must have been thinking similar thoughts - which, he was. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“</b>
  <b>
    <em>My love -”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Tama -” they each mumbled almost simultaneously, both stuck in their spots, neither one moving yet. Reina’s hand remained on his cheek unmoving but slowly, after another brief moment of blissful silence, she stroked his cheek once as she pulled him even closer with her legs. Another short gasp came from Reina, but Tamaki couldn’t help but let out a loud moan, his hands shaking slightly against her hips. “Please, keep going, baby,” she pleaded, her voice wavering mildly as her eyes fluttered shut once more. Tamaki swallowed before giving a quick nod and squeezing each of her hips gently as he settled into a steady pace. As moans began to fly from Reina’s mouth, much louder than he had ever heard from her before, he couldn’t help but gaze down at her adoringly. </b>
  <b>
    <em>This must be what heaven feels like,</em>
  </b>
  <b> he dramatically wondered about, a loud groan coming from his chest when she tightened her grip on him, tugging him further into her. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Not just the sex, but the sex with her. Being here with her. </em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re free to try with someone else, if you wanted to see for yourself,” she reminded him, finally pulling herself back from the recent memory that had popped up in her head. He had been subconsciously counting the amount of spices that were in a rack hung against the wall, but he lost count at her words, his face scrunching into something completely unreadable to Reina. Annoyance, distraught, astonishment, sorrow - a huge mix of those, plus a few others that even Tamaki couldn’t pick up on. He finally braved himself enough to look back down at her to be met with a small, but innocent smile and a half shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not happening,” he responded matter-of-factly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And never will. Reina is the only person I’ll ever share my body and that experience with. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina watched as his expression softened when she nodded back up at him, though a hint of sadness remained there. She moved one of her hands from his hair to cup his cheek, but his stoic, melancholy face stayed intact. “Ever.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ever is a long time, my dear,” she mused, but he gave a soft nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Reina watched him for another moment before leaning up to give him a gentle kiss, pulling away to make eye contact with him once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To answer your question, you’re the best I’ve ever been with,” she finally confided, stroking his cheek softly. His emotions split in two directions. On one side, he had never outright asked whether or not she had been with someone and there was a strong feeling of jealousy that coursed through his veins. But after fully processing her words, a wave of pride and gratification slide through him, wiping out any other feelings he had just been experiencing. His shoulders that had involuntarily grew slumped now perked back up confidently, and finally his lips curved up into a smile. “By far, actually,” Reina admitted, stroking his cheek a few more times as she teasingly ruffled his hair. In a swift movement, he lifted her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have indulged me in that fact much earlier, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said coolly, beginning to walk out of the kitchen and towards the staircase. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I have, just in different words,” she mused, resting her head on his shoulder, still gazing up at him. In a similar fashion as she had earlier, she began to list off some of the more intimate things she had said to him, watching as his face began to change colors once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you aren’t just stroking my ego?” He asked to clarify, getting a little giggle out of Reina who shook her head against his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I could never do that, Mister Suoh. I think your ego is big enough on it’s own,” she teased, which made him shoot a little look over at her, a single eyebrow raised. “But I don’t mind inflating it, if what I’m saying is truthful,” she smirked softly, running her hand through his hair again just as he pushed his bedroom door open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes I think your ego isn’t big enough,” he mentioned, pausing in place to allow Reina to kick the door shut, something they had started to do out of convenience, before continuing to his bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is that so? I don’t know, I think I’m pretty great,” she mused up at him, wrapping her arm around his neck tighter as he collapsed onto the bed with her, giggling a little as he moved on top of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t seem like it,” he mumbled, pressing his lips to her cheek before moving over to her ear. “But maybe that’s my fault,” he whispered, his hands finally moving her shirt up her body and his fingertips grazing across some goosebumps that had formed on her sides. “I think I allow you to do most of the talking, but I want to be the one to fawn on you this time, my sweet vixen,” he elaborated, pulling her shirt up just a bit further as she arched her back into him. “Allow me to praise you this time, and each time from now on, because I want you to know your worth to me.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Let's Take A Vote (55)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>A/N: Flashbacks will be in bold. :) I’ll probably add a little author’s note at the top of each chapter that includes a flashback just as a little reminder, or at least for the first few times! </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty Five </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, sit,” the woman in front of her gushed, beckoning Reina into the seat across from herself, a desk with clothes scattered across it keeping them apart. The woman had already excitedly introduced herself as Yuzuha Hitachiin, though Reina had already known that. Reina sat and sent the woman a little grin, but was tugged forward when Yuzuha reached across the desk and held onto both of her hands. Each girl was sitting in their own seat, leaning as forward as they could so that she could hold onto Reina’s hands. “You’re just as beautiful in person as you were in those photos! I’ve given both my sons a stern chat about how inconsiderate it was to leave out just how gorgeous you were when they first mentioned you, we could have met much earlier!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I appreciate that, thank you,” Reina said with a strained little laugh, not too sure how to react to the compliments, but Yuzuha hardly gave her time to before speaking again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to forgive all three of us. I’ve been beyond busy trying to prepare for our summer collection to drop - which you’ve helped me with immensely,” Yuzuha rambled, cupping Reina’s hands even tighter as a wide grin spread across her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This must be why the twin’s are so touchy, maybe their whole family’s love language is physical touch,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina couldn’t help but wonder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course! I enjoyed it,” she assured, just as Yuzuha let go of her hands and began to rummage through the piles of clothes in front of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me dear, have you ever thought of pursuing a career in modeling?” She asked, a little twinkle in her eye as she started to set a few items aside in new piles, compiling some outfits for Reina. Reina sat back in her seat, sucking on the side of her cheek for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mean to offend you, but no, I never considered it,” she admitted, which made Yuzuha glance up, but her grin never faltered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t offend me! Some people prefer not to be in the limelight. I’m one of those people. I much prefer to be the brains behind the operation. Though, may I ask why? You seem to have a natural talent for being in front of the camera, and your gift from God surely would help you,” she said, motioning to Reina’s face that grew pink at the phrasing Yuzuha chose with the statement. Reina cleared her throat slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why has everyone started asking me about my future recently? I don’t want to think about my future, I still have a year and a half left in high school. I have no clue what I’m doing after that… well, except I know I probably won’t be modeling after high school.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be honest with you, I grew up in America, so I’m not sure if this is universal,” Reina prefaced, which got a little nod from Yuzuha to continue talking. “But I think the modeling industry is one of the biggest factors in perpetuating the idea that women need to be small and slender in order to have sex appeal. I also think that the models themselves can also be severely damaged with the unrealistic standards that they’re asked to upkeep. There was an article published last year that I read, saying that something like forty percent of people in the industry have an eating disorder, and it’s fair to say that a good portion of those women developed their disorders after starting their careers,” Reina said confidently, though slouched in her seat shortly after, a bit worried with the way she had just spoken to an elder. “I have a friend in New York who models, and it seems fairly vigorous,” she elaborated sheepishly. Yuzuha sat stunned, a little skirt in her hands before she tossed it down in a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve done your homework!” Yuzuha said, and Reina still couldn’t quite gauge whether this reaction was good or not. “I see what you’re saying, and I wholeheartedly understand those concerns,” she said, moving some more clothes aside to reach her laptop, then moving through a few things before turning the screen to face Reina. “I had those same moral dilemmas. That’s why I pride myself on employing women of all body types,” Yuzuha declared with another grin, which made Reina sigh a little breath of relief. </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least she didn’t kick me out,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she mused as she looked down at the laptop, glancing through the pictures. She noticed that there was a good range in sizing, and she gave a little nod. “We weigh all of our official models whenever we get a chance just to make sure they’re not losing any substantial amount of weight. We also have programs available for anyone we feel may be going down that path. We take care of our employees,” she assured, yet another little glimmer in her eyes. “But I’m impressed, typically that’s not the first thing a seventeen year old thinks about when debating their career choice. Is that the only issue you have with the job?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess ‘issue’, yes. But aside from that, I just could never see myself doing it long term,” Reina admitted, giving Yuzuha a tiny smile, which she returned tenfold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you could see it short term? I’m so glad to hear that,” she beamed, ripping a slip of paper out from the mess of the clothes sprawled in front of them and handed it over to Reina, who immediately began to read it. “I would love to offer you a job - my boys have already told me about your little predicament about not knowing whether or not you’ll be here next year, which is no issue for me. If you’re still here by next year, we can simply renew the contract - or figure out a different arrangement!” She beamed, watching as Reina seemed to get a little uncomfortable, biting the inside of her cheek as she read through the document. “Before you answer, I have something else for you,” she added, opening up a drawer on her side of the desk and pulled out a white envelope, handing that over to Reina as well. She hesitantly took it, glancing up at Yuzuha before peeling it open and pulling out the check enclosed inside. Reina blinked down at it, her stomach dropping at the sight of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mrs. Hitachiin, there’s no way I could accept this from you,” Reina said simply, pushing it back into the envelope and trying to hand it back over to the woman, who was slowly shaking her head and crossing both her arms over her chest with a tiny smirk on her face. “That’s way too much, I hardly did anything. And like I told the twins, I didn’t even think I was getting paid in the first place - I thought I was just being helpful, and I didn’t mind that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You gave precious hours of your life. In fact, there should be more in there since you gave up precious time with your friends on trips that you should have been enjoying. Hopefully you’ll allow me to send you home with some outfits to make up for that aspect of it,” she retorted, shooing away Reina’s hand that held the envelope. Reina let out a tiny huff as she glanced back down at the envelope, before looking at the contract in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m very sorry, Mrs. Hitachiin, but I’m unsure if I can accept the job at all,” Reina confided, holding it up again to read further down. “I’m going to be a little honest with you, I would love to. Especially after seeing what you’re offering,” Reina added, shaking the little envelope in her hand as she bit down on the side of her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’d love to continue growing my savings account, and this would be a huge help. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“But I’m not too sure how the whole visa thing works, or how long it takes or if I’m even technically allowed to work,” she mentioned, looking back up to see Yuzuha’s face, which had shifted to almost a theatrical little pout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to admit, I forgot about that part as well. The boys mentioned to me very early on that you were from America, and I guess it slipped my mind since then. Even when you mentioned it earlier, I didn’t connect those dots,” she said with a level of sorrow that to Reina almost seemed forced. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The twins are good actors, maybe they get it from their mom? But why would she be acting right now? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina wondered. “Is that the only problem you’re having with accepting?” She asked delicately, and Reina gave a tiny nod. In an instant, she ripped the page from Reina’s hands and tossed aside, her large grin now returning. “That’s fine, we can continue things how they were! I was dreading having to go through the process of speaking to the school about obtaining permission to get you on my team, so we’ll just work silently together, and I’ll pay you under the table,” Yuzuha concluded with a little wink. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. I see. So this arrangement benefits her, and I’m sure she was very aware of it. The twins do in fact take after their mother, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she concluded, though couldn’t help but laugh at it just a bit. “I can make that exception for a friend of Hikaru and Kaoru’s. Besides, it’s better for you since you won’t need to take out any taxes,” Yuzuha mused a bit. Reina gave a little nod, thinking it over for a moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Then, there are no issues. I don’t have to worry about a visa, I don’t have to think about potentially having to call mom or Eric to change my visa status, and I don’t even have to worry about how the school would react to me getting a job, all while growing my savings account. Perfect. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A little grin came onto her face and she extended her free hand, met with Yuzuha’s, who gave her an enthusiastic handshake in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I can agree then!” Reina smiled, much to Yuzuha’s delight. As soon as their hands let go of each other, Yuzuha jumped up and began to pick up some clothes from the piles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now for my favorite part, dress up!” She eagerly declared, handing the first outfit over to Reina. “I want to see what kind of style looks best on you so that I know when to call you for photographs. I know you’re more than exceptional being photographed in swimsuits, so we don’t need to try any more of those on - though I have a few that I think would just look absolutely darling on you and so I’ll send you home with some!” She grinned as Reina looked over the outfit in her hands. In her hands were a pair of bright neon pink overalls, as well as a cutesy little white blouse. “Combinaisons are going to be all the rage this year, we’re going to have quite a few different styles and colors for our fall collection, I can see it now,” Yuzuha doted, eyes twinkling as she ushered Reina over to the a little changing area in the office, obviously dedicated to opportunities like these. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s funny, we call them overalls in America, and they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge</span>
  </em>
  <span> like ten years ago. I think half of my baby pictures have me wearing some type of overalls,” Reina noted with a little giggle as she moved behind the opaque screen and began to change. Yuzuha let out a short laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, dear, those </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> overalls. Combinaisons are just articles of clothing that are full-length, with both pants and a shirt included, overalls just fit under that umbrella,” she explained. “As far as styles shifting in and out, everything comes back, my dear. We’re going to see it this year and probably in ten more years. That’s the fashion business for you, you just have to be one of the first designers to be ahead of the curve,” Yuzuha said, moving back to her desk and rummaging through some of the other options. Reina reappeared, giving Yuzuha a sheepish smile as the elder gave an approving little nod and a thumbs up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you married to this combination?” Reina asked hesitantly, looking over at herself in the mirror and sucking the inside of her cheek. Yuzuha stood stunned for a moment before shaking her head and motioning her hand to the piles of clothes on the table, giving Reina access to sort through them. “I think it’s cute, don’t get me wrong, but the 90’s fashion trend with overalls gave it a little more muted and grungy look,” Reina said, starting to skim through the piles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’ll be hard to find something to make that pink color muted,” Yuzuha mused, though watched in curiosity as Reina picked up a long sleeve shirt that was almost identical to the color of the overalls. “Monochromatic? I’m not sure if that’s quite ready for a comeback,” she teased softly, just as Reina moved back over to the changing room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well monochromatic track suits were just really big in the states, I’m not sure if that transferred to Japan or not - but I think those are going out of style now, anyway. I don’t think I can make it muted, but I can add some grunge to it,” Reina explained, stripping from the shirt and laying it back down on the little loveseat behind the screen and pulling the long sleeve shirt on. “Back in America, a different style of grunge is coming back in full force - but it’s much more colorful this time,” she elaborated, then pulled the black and white striped tee shirt that she had been wearing initially over her head. She only clasped one side of the straps before walking back out, giving Yuzuha a cheery little grin. Yuzuha looked over the outfit in contemplation. “Just picture it with a pair of boots or sneakers, and maybe a black crossbody bag. Maybe a black beanie. If anything, it proves that these,” Reina said, pulling at the overalls for emphasis, “are versatile. Even without the long sleeve I think it would still work.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s cute,” Yuzuha finally concluded with a little nod, a tad more impressed than she had initially expected to be, grabbing a little notepad from the desk and making a short note on it before setting it back down and scanning through the other options she had picked. “So you say that colorful grunge is all the rage in America right now, then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sort of. Studded, colorful belts or jewelry with skinny jeans and band tee shirts. Sometimes the band shirts are colorful, but red and purple skinny jeans are also pretty popular right now too,” Reina said with a little shrug, taking the new pile from Yuzuha and heading back behind the screen to change. “I can’t personally get behind the colorful pant thing, I’m pretty sufficient with denim or black, but I do love a good tee shirt.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So then what would you say your style is then, my dear?” Yuzuha asked curiously. Reina took a moment to think about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I’m living out of a suitcase. Which essentially I am, with the moving and everything, I feel like it’s hard to commit to one particular style. Even without the moving, I think it would be hard for me to pin down just one style,” Reina concluded. “I like versatility. I looked cute in the white blouse, but also in the other pick, so I like the option of both. Plus I have friends in America who are wearing all different things than my friends out here ever would, and I like it all equally,” she shrugged, though Yuzuha couldn’t see her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you had a fashion icon, who would it be?” Yuzuha pressed, which only made Reina laugh a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To be honest with you, it's kind of the same deal. I like a lot of people's styles. I guess if I had to choose, there's this lead singer of this alternative band in America. She wears a lot of basics, stripes and jeans but will add in animal print or checkered fabric, something different every once in a while, just some cute extras,” Reina said as she came back out from behind the screen. “I appreciate all styles,” Reina laughed. This outfit was much more tame than the overalls had been, just a plain black, short sleeved combinaison that scrunched in at both the end of the sleeves and the ankles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So then what would you add to this?” Yuzuha asked curiously. Reina glanced over at the oversized mirror, sizing herself up for a moment as she thought about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure. This actually seems like it could be worn in a professional setting, so like flats and a cardigan for the safe route? Or maybe a blazer to look extra professional?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And the risky route?” She mused, and Reina gave a little shrug and a half smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hooped earrings? Maybe a faux fur jacket on top - animal print optional, I know it’s not everyone’s taste,” Reina laughed, looking in the mirror for another moment before cocking her head to the side. “People dress much more modestly out here from what it seems so it’s hard to gauge what would work with clients out here, at least from what I’ve seen. Maybe I’m just not going to the right places,” she joked, getting a tiny laugh from Yuzuha. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I could use your help more than with just the photos,” Yuzuha said, moreso a thought that slipped out as she scooped up yet another pile and handed it off to Reina, who instinctively moved back behind the screen to change. “So if modeling isn’t your forte long-term, what is it exactly you hope to do with your life?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Future talk again,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought with a held back sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something on the back end of business. I mean, I don’t even have social media,” Reina pointed out with a little giggle. “I just don’t like to be all out there, you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “A teenager without social media? How strange,” Yuzuha commented with a little giggle as well. “Well, maybe you can help me with some suggestions and critiques, then. I can get your email to send you stuff. The boys normally just tell me my work is perfect and that everything looks great. Maybe I’ve trained them to do that though,” she teased. “Helping me would look better on any future resumes,” she gently reminded. Reina let out a little laugh from the other side of the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can do that! It sounds interesting. Though I have to admit, it’s a little hard to imagine either of them being so agreeable all the time. I sometimes think that they like to play devil’s advocate just to get a reaction out of everyone,” Reina mentioned. Yuzuha leaned against the desk and crossed her arms, a small smile on her face as she turned to face the opaque screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They sure like to have their fun,” she said quietly, the small smile remaining. “You know, at least weekly, I like to separate them to have one on one conversations with them. Up until a few years ago, those conversations were fairly short lived, but I still tried. Once their friend Tamaki got them to join that club of theirs, I noticed a big change in their personas. It’s been really nice to see them both blossoming,” Yuzuha admitted, and Reina stopped in the middle of her changing to process the information. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t really picture them being closed off,” Reina responded quietly, and she could hear a tiny little laugh from the other side of the barrier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to picture it with how they are now. But they definitely were closed off, that’s just to say the least, and not just at home either. Before the host club, my boys didn’t have any friends aside from each other. That was their own doing, they isolated themselves, we’ve luckily never had to deal with any bullying scandals - I had to make triple sure with their teachers since they never told me much. I have a lot of gratitude for that club. Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> can pass along the appreciation I have for that Tamaki kid, tell him I said thank you,” Yuzuha mused, giving a short giggle as she pictured Reina with a blush, which was a correct assumption. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess Tamaki really does have a way with changing people. I think he’s changed me a lot, for the better.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Both twins have talked about you, but Kaoru more so. It sounds like you two are pretty close, at least from his perspective and from what he tells me. I think it’s nice that you’re able to have conversations with each of the twins separately and treat them as individuals, but I think Kaoru notices more than Hikaru probably does.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. They’re such different people, it would be hard to treat them exactly the same,” Reina smiled, finally stepping out in her new outfit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you may feel more strongly about that since you have your own set of twins back home,” Yuzuha pointed out, and Reina let out a minuscule laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, Kaoru has told you a lot,” she mumbled, subconsciously playing with one of her fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, Hikaru let that one slip. I had to inform him after your conversation with him that he is, in fact, the more abrasive twin,” Yuzuha giggled as Reina thought back to that particular talk in the backseat of Hiroto’s car. “He seemed even more annoyed that I agreed with you and Haruhi, but I’m not going to lie to my own child - especially if he’s picking arguments with some special girls over it. By the way, I think I should also be thanking you for taking Kaoru out and allowing Hikaru to go on his own date,” Yuzuha mused, giving a huge grin over at Reina who had started to play with the hem of the blouse she was wearing, little giggles slipping out nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Reina tried, but Yuzuha simply shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Kaoru’s told me </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And I mean everything. You’ve done a lot to help them out, and I appreciate you for that. Both you and Tamaki,” she reiterated, a little twinkle in her eye. Reina calmed down just a little as she gave an almost unnoticed nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll do my best to continue. They’re kind of like my little brothers.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That feels less and less like a joke each time I say it. It’s as if I’m joining Tamaki’s odd little family that he’s created for himself. Which honestly feels nice, even if he </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>is</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> annoying sometimes. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I bet I know why you haven’t left yet,” Hikaru sang, leaning against the couch that Tamaki was laying across, his phone clutched the hand that was resting against his chest. Once all the guests had left, Tamaki had thrown himself into it before even cleaning up his station and had yet to move. He glanced up at Hikaru and rolled his eyes, just as Kaoru joined the pair. “It’s because Reina’s at our house, isn’t it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh right, she is. I’m sure she’ll stay for dinner, I doubt mom will send her away before then,” Kaoru chimed in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re right, Kaoru. She may even stay later than that. In fact, she’s kind of like our big sister, maybe we’ll have a little sleepover,” Hikaru added, taking glances down at Tamaki who, on a surface level, seemed unaffected by their antics. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s not staying the night with you two devils,” his monotone voice shot back, much less loud and chastising as they would have expected. The twins took a little glance at one another before moving around to the other side of the couch to stand in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” They both asked together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s been like this since he joined me for lunch today,” Kyoya called from across the room. Hikaru and Kaoru looked up at Kyoya, seeking an explanation, but a little shrug was returned from them. “He wouldn’t talk. Though I will mention that it’s a rarity to see him at lunch these days, he typically spends them with Reina.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She was busy,” Tamaki mumbled, staring up at the ceiling. The twins leaned over to look him in the face, and as they looked at his eyes, a dead stare caught them by surprise. Tamaki was staring right past them, so they stood back up and looked over at each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay -” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Busy with what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Planning her party with the theatre kids,” he muttered, just a twinge of aggravation entering his tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t sound too bad, Tama-Chan,” Honey said as he, Mori, and Haruhi made their ways over to look at the depressed boy who was sinking further and further into the couch. Kyoya stayed in his place, though was in more than enough earshot to catch all of the conversation. “The play is this week, is it an after party?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Reina and Hiroto were talking about it on our group date. Hey boss, did they decide on whether or not we could come?” Kaoru asked, watching as Tamaki’s face scrunched up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re allowing guests after the first hour,” Tamaki recited, his tone shifting back to it’s monotone pitch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kaoru told me all about it. What time is it then that we can show up?” Hikaru asked, but Tamaki stayed silent for another moment before finally letting out a little huff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not invited,” he finally confessed. Nobody spoke immediately, but in an effort to try and get him to show some other emotion, the twins sprang into action to annoy him even further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a personal issue. What time should we be there?” They asked together. After some time, Tamaki turned his head to the twins, one of his eyes twitching slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going if I’m not going,” he hissed, shooting daggers out of his eyes at the nonchalant twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not? We’re her friends,” Kaoru pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe even better friends than you are with her if you’re not invited,” Hikaru egged on. Tamaki shot himself up in an instant, now standing directly in front of the twins and grabbed each of their shirts, shaking them around a little bit in his anger, though they remained blasé. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You both take that back right now! You’ll never be as close to Reina as I have, never in your life! You can’t even comprehend how close we are! We’re probably even closer than you two are to each other!” Tamaki yelled with each shake he gave them, getting scrunched faces and narrowed eyes in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s taking it a bit extreme.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Closer than twins? Get a grip, boss.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why aren’t you invited, senpai? Are you two arguing?” Haruhi asked, which finally made Tamaki drop the twins from his grip, sending them both down to the ground with a loud ‘thud’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not arguing,” he immediately disputed, but then his own face scrunched up. “Disagreeing? I don’t think we’re arguing. She seemed much too calm for it to have been an argument,” he thought out loud, looking down at the ground. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Would this be our first real argument? No, the beach. And maybe even the water park, but I think that was more Reina v. Hikaru. All of our disagreements have revolved around me just trying to keep her safe, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought with another huff. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She should just let me keep her safe, like she promised to allow me to do. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“We’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>disagreeing</span>
  </em>
  <span> about this for a few days, but she made the final decision today during study hall. It's been the only thing I could think about, I haven't even been able to ask her about anything Chloe said."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have yet to explain why she uninvited you exactly, you should inform us so we have the opportunity to pick a side,” Kyoya said after a few moments of silence as they waited for Tamaki to elaborate. Tamaki shot a look over at Kyoya, eyes narrowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to know the story in order to know that I’m right,</span>
  <em>
    <span> obviously</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m right,” he retorted. Honey jumped up and ran to the side of the room, quickly returning back to the group with an oversized whiteboard on wheels. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should take a vote once Tama-Chan explains the situation!” He beamed. Mori took the marker from Honey’s extended arm and walked up to the whiteboard. On one side of the board, he wrote Tamaki’s name, then mirrored Reina’s on the other side. He underlined each of their names then drew a line down the middle of the board. Mori slipped the cap of the marker on the back end of it before turning back to the group. Tamaki glanced around before grunting and crossing his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go ahead, boss,” the twins mused together, getting a little glare from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want her drinking at the party,” Tamaki finally said, leaving it at that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t elaborate, we’re all going to vote for Reina,” Kyoya said matter-of-factly. Tamaki whipped around to look at Kyoya who had joined the group at last. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re joking, right?” He asked with wide eyes. Kyoya gave a tiny head shake, watching as Tamaki’s eyes almost popped out of his skull. “How could you not be joking? Isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough on it’s own? That I don’t want her to partake in such heinous acts?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I recall correctly, then you’ve drank with her on two separate occasions, and those are just the times that I’m aware of,” Kyoya rebutted, sending Tamaki into a literal spiral into the ground, a little whimper flying out of his mouth to accompany the fall. His face was bright red, though remained irritated as he stared up at the ceiling from his new position. “So I know you don’t have a dislike for alcohol, nor have you kept her from that </span>
  <em>
    <span>heinous act</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the past,” he coolly mocked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love</span>
  </em>
  <span> to drink around a bunch of perverted men that I don’t know very well where I can't protect her,” Tamaki retorted from the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so you just want to be the only guy around her while she’s drunk?” Hikaru asked, crossing his arms as he looked down at Tamaki, scolding him in the process. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a creep,” Kaoru added, each of them looking up to Mori and giving him a singular nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina,” they both concluded. Mori silently turned around and added two tally marks under Reina’s name, ignoring Tamaki’s tiny whimper of distraught as he turned to the rest of the group. Everyone else still seemed undecided so he let the marker drop back down to his side, waiting for the conversation to commence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So is that what it is then, Tamaki? You don’t want her drinking amongst other men that aren’t yourself?” Kyoya asked to clarify. Tamaki let his head fall to the side, closing his eyes in another dramatic act of distress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say it like that,” Tamaki’s sorrow-filled voice pleaded, but gave a very pitiful nod to accompany the statement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can understand that, Senpai,” Haruhi finally said. Tamaki perked up as Mori turned to add a tally mark under his name, but Haruhi promptly shut them both down. “No, I’m still not decided yet. Why doesn’t she want you to come?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I don’t want her to drink,” Tamaki answered, furrowing his eyebrows in his response. “I thought I made that clear.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, but you don’t want her to drink without you around, which is understandable if you’re worried about her wellbeing. But if you came, she would be free to drink, which would eliminate her reasoning for not wanting you to come,” Haruhi rationalized, as everyone in the room started to mentally connect the dots of her words, trying not to get lost in them. “So if you let her drink, then she would let you come, which would eliminate your concerns for her drinking without you, right? It’s like a circle. You let her drink, she lets you come, everyone wins.” To ensure everyone was on the same page, Mori drew a little circle diagram at the bottom of the whiteboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki tells Reina she can drink ---&gt; Reina allows Tamaki come to the party ---&gt; Tamaki goes to the party and Reina drinks safely with him there </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki slumped back against the ground, letting his head fall to the side once again and a little huff slipped from his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not worried about me being there while she drinks,” he said in an agitated tone, as if he’s already explained it before, though he had yet to. “I don’t want her drinking around those people at all, whether or not I’m there.” The twins each glanced at each other, a mirrored eyebrow raised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re just telling her she can’t drink with her friends at all? Even though you’ve done it with her?” They asked, scowling when Tamaki gave another nod. “Our vote is still with Reina.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s where my vote is leaning as well,” Kyoya noted, smirking only slightly when Tamaki abruptly sat back up, palms flat against the marble flooring. “So your invitation was revoked because you’re trying to dictate how she plans to spend her time with her theatre friends. I can’t personally blame her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tama-Chan, if she’s going to do it anyway, wouldn’t you rather be there to watch over her?” Honey pointed out, getting another little huff from Tamaki, who was in disbelief with the way that this interaction was going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather she didn’t do it,” he reiterated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But if she does,” Kaoru pointed out, a little eye roll from Hikaru commencing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which she will,” Hikaru added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t want her to,” Tamaki said through gritted teeth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How exactly did she uninvite you, senpai?” Haruhi asked to end the circle they were continuing in. Tamaki sighed as he turned his attention towards the windows, beginning to recite the story quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Hey, I’m going to have to leave at lunch,” Reina mentioned with a little smile over at Tamaki. “I’m meeting with some of the theatre students so we can talk about the party.” Tamaki gave a soft nod as he glanced up from his worksheet, a tiny grimace spreading across his face. Reina noticed but decided to ignore it, looking back down at her own work. Tamaki tried hard to keep his words in, but after a long moment, shook his head as the words began to explode from his mouth. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I really am not comfortable with you drinking with any of those delinquents -” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Again, not delinquents,” Reina sighed, casting an exhausted glance in his direction. “And I’m not doing any of this again. You’ve already met a few of them, and you’ll get to know the rest on Saturday. I’ve already told you that if anything weird happens, we can just go to my room or end the party or something. It’s not a big deal.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“It is a big deal!” He swiftly debated, a deep set frown across his lips. Reina let out a little sigh, trying to move back to her worksheet but he continued to talk. “I just want you to be safe.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“And I trust you to keep me safe,” she reminded, looking back up at him with a raised eyebrow. Tamaki grumbled something under his breath, so Reina narrowed her eyes in his direction. “Pardon?” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I’ll always keep you safe, but making smart decisions would ensure that I wouldn’t need to,” he finally said loud enough for her to hear. Reina blinked back at him before slowly nodding, turning back to the work in front of her and continued to work on it. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“You’re right,” she agreed simply, which took him by surprise. “I’ve been selfish in assuming you would want to spend your Saturday night looking after me. Luckily, I’m a big girl and can look after myself, so I’m relieving you from your babysitting duties.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked, now narrowing his own eyes at her, but she wasn’t paying attention to him anymore, her gaze fixated on her homework. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“It means I can handle myself on Saturday, you don’t need to come. I trust myself and the company I’ll be around, so there’s no need for you to stress about ‘watching me’. I’ll see you some other time during the weekend, but don’t worry about showing up,” she said innocently, sending the dumbfounded man a little grin before turning back to the math in front of her. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Well clearly you’re worried about it, so just don’t. And I have no desire to continue arguing about this with you, so I think it would be easier for the both of us if you sat this one out. I think I’m capable of handling myself,” she shrugged. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Are you sure about that?” He asked, a clear annoyance in his voice. Reina checked the time before swiftly packing up her items and turning back to him. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I am, I think I’m capable. I’ve done it </b>
  <b>
    <em>plenty</em>
  </b>
  <b> of times. Sorry if you’re under the impression that I’m not,” she said simply, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek, though his face didn’t change. “See you in class,” she said with a little smile before jumping up and heading off to meet up with her friends. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Tamaki finished his story, the room was silent just for a moment. Kyoya glanced up at Mori and gave him a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina,” he concluded. Tamaki’s eyes shot open in disbelief. Mori nodded and added another tally mark under her name, turning to Haruhi who looked highly annoyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to vote for Tamaki because I think consuming alcohol under the legal age can never end well, but I’m voting for Reina just out of principle,” Haruhi muttered, which added another tally mark under Reina’s name, ignoring as the wide eyed Tamaki’s jaw dropped, still stuck in his spot on the ground.   “You shouldn’t have guilted her after being so adamant about wanting to protect her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never guilted her!” Tamaki shot back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you did,” Kyoya, Haruhi, and the twins all said in unison. The words shot Tamaki straight to the heart and he once again fell back against the ground, his mind racing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That wasn’t guilting, right? It was just pointing out the obvious. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mori glanced over at Honey, who casted a glance over at the shattered guy on the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t want Tama-Chan to not have any points,” Honey started, which perked Tamaki up, if only slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t vote out of pity,” Mori reminded quietly, which got a determined nod from Honey, making Tamaki slump down even further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll vote for Reina-Chan - but Usa-Chan can vote for Tama-Chan,” Honey announced. Mori gave into that request, marking another vote for Reina and finally giving Tamaki his first tally - though everyone knew it didn’t really count. Tamaki shot up to look at Mori, who seemed to be thinking over his own answer. On one hand, he agreed with why Reina would have revoked the invitation, but his mind kept reeling back to the beach scene and could understand Tamaki’s desire to protect her - though, he swiftly reminded himself that there were other ways to go about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could have compromised,” Mori pointed out softly, watching as Tamaki’s face scrunched up in a state of bewilderment. “Are you going to try and reach a compromise?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Tamaki responded, not too sure of his answer. “Maybe I’ll go along with it, and then offer to make all of her drinks for the night, and then just add no alcohol to them,” he thought out loud, beginning to think through all the options. “Do you think she would notice? Is there non-alcoholic alcohol I could add for taste?” He asked, glancing around at everyone, though he got no responses back. “Or maybe we can come up with a plan to get the party shut down. Maybe not with any police involved, but I’m sure all of us could come up with something!” Tamaki tried, looking around the room to only find disapproving looks shot back at him. Mori stared at him for another moment before turning to the whiteboard and adding the final tally mark under Reina’s name. He recapped the marker and set it down on the ledge of the board, turning back to see Tamaki’s face full of betrayal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like we have a winner. Club dismissed,” Kyoya mused, turning to retrieve his items. Haruhi rolled her eyes one more time with a tiny huff in Tamaki’s direction, who had moved back to the couch in his former depressed state, before getting ready to leave as well. The twins made their way over to the couch as everyone began to file out of the room. They each had their arms crossed, looking down at Tamaki who was staring up at the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is she mad at you?” Kaoru asked out of curiosity. Tamaki shook his head, eyes still on the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, which feels weird. She talked to me in class after lunch and was perfectly fine, but shut down the conversation when I tried to change her mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so stupid, boss,” Hikaru groaned. “We’re obviously going to the party - all three of us. What’s she going to do? Kick us out?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She might,” Tamaki pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She won’t,” Kaoru said. “But you have to be more strategic with your plan to not let her drink too much, we’ll figure something out.” Tamaki’s eyes glistened as he turned to face the two annoyed twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to help me?” He asked, a newfound happiness in his voice. They glanced over at each other before finally giving a tiny nod.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Kaoru started slowly, watching Hikaru. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Mori’s right, you have to compromise. She won the vote too, so you can’t dispute it. Let her have her fun, but we just have to be there in case anything goes bad, or if she’s getting too messed up or anything,” Hikaru sternly told Tamaki. The blonde thought about it for a moment before giving a determined nod, as well as a cheeky grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> you guys secretly thought I was right!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what we said.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Extended Host Family (56)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Hey everyone! So sorry for the late upload. I had a friend’s birthday yesterday, and I thought I would have more than enough time to come home and post this chapter, but since I didn’t keep the party going I ended up getting a premature hangover lmaoooo. I will probably post this week’s chapter on Thursday instead of Wednesday so that they’re not posted too close together - unless you want it on Wednesday. If that’s the case, just let me know. :) Would love to hear some feedback about these last few chapters! Thanks everyone!  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty Six </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina glanced up when the double doors to the formal living room were opened. A maid motioned Tamaki inside before giving everyone in the room a brisk nod and departing once more, headed off to continue her tasks of assisting in the set up for the party that would take place later that night. Tamaki hadn’t been exactly sure what he was expecting when Reina had invited him over to meet the rest of the Higurashi family on a whim, but it definitely wasn’t the scene that was sat in front of him. Reina was grinning brightly, but the tone of her voice didn’t match the cheeriness at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, I’m so glad you’re here, you have to help me!” She said in a forced panicked tone, which made the guy sitting next to her on the ground snicker. “I’m in so much trouble, I lost a baby, I don’t know where she went,” Reina elaborated, looking back in front of her. Tamaki heard the sound of a little giggle and his eyes darted down. In front of Reina was a little bundle of blanket standing upright, and once realizing what was happening, Tamaki jumped in to play as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no!” He said, making his way over and giving a wide grin as he crouched down next to Reina, facing the pink blanket in front of them. He could see Sora looking around at the rest of the room with a little smirk, as if what he was doing was proving a point that she had previously made to them. “Do you have any idea where she could have gone?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None at all,” Reina said in a defeated tone, covering her mouth to suppress a giggle as the baby under the blanket started to crack up at the sound of their hysteria. “Asami!” Reina called, just as the blanket started to move a little more. “Asami, if you can hear me, please come back!” Just as Reina finished the sentence, the child ripped the blanket off from on top of her head, still giggling up a storm. “Oh, Asami, you scared me!” Reina said, cupping both of the baby’s cheeks tenderly as the little girl continued to laugh, almost falling backwards with her giggles. “Don’t do that again,” Reina chastised teasingly. Asami kept her big grin as she slowly took the blanket back into her grip and threw it back over her own head. “Whoa! Where did she go this time?” Reina asked, getting another long set of giggles from the baby. The three other women in the room were giggling as well, as the men in the room were just watching with little smiles on their faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I bet I can find her,” one of the men said. Tamaki glanced up at the new voice, suddenly remembering that there were other people in the room with them. He had been tunnel visioned on the sight of Reina interacting with the child. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew she had siblings, but seeing this in person is just too much to handle, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he internally gushed, finally taking a seat on the ground next to Reina and wrapping an arm around her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>To see her with a baby, and being so good with it, it makes me want to start a family with her even more. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The man stood from the couch and walked over, scooping up the mass of blankets and giggles, carrying her back over to the couch and ripping the blanket off her head. The baby blinked, seemingly not too thrilled with her new position in the man’s lap, and instinctively reached out to the woman who was sitting next to him. The woman gave a short laugh, mostly in the man’s direction as she scooped up the baby and placed Asami on her own lap. “She’s had enough fun, let’s move to introductions,” the man said, somewhat jokingly, but his actions proved that he had been serious. “I’m Aito, and this is my wife, Mitsue,” Aito announced in Tamaki’s direction, motioning over in the direction of the woman sitting next to him, who was giving Tamaki a warm smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aito, must be an homage name for Saito. I’m assuming he’s the oldest,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki pieced together. “Our daughter Asami, and our son,” he said, now motioning to a coffee table that had been set off to the side. “Benjiro.” Benjiro was kneeling on the ground, very intently working on something. Tamaki guessed that he couldn’t have been much older than four years old. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s been very passionate in that drawing for Reina,” Sora sang with a gleeful grin over in the boy’s direction. Benjiro’s head perked up at the mention of Reina’s name, but he swiftly turned back to his work, seemingly working even faster after the intrusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s very nice to meet you,” Tamaki said quietly, giving them each a nod and a charming smile to go along with it before turning to the second couple on the other couch. He noticed that there were only two children in the room, so he automatically made the assumption that they didn’t have any. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makoto and Hina,” the guy said, giving a short nod to Tamaki as Hina gave a sheepish little wave and a grin. Tamaki opened his mouth to exchange pleasantries, but was cut off when the man sitting on the other side of Reina whipped around to reveal himself, extending his hand cheekily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renzo,” he called out, much louder than he needed to with being practically right next to the couple. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Renzo means youngest son, so that would make Makoto the middle child,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki thought, trying to piece everything together fully to ensure he was on the same page as everyone. Reina winced just a bit at the volume that had been shot right into her right ear, but couldn’t help but let loose a tiny laugh as Tamaki met Renzo’s hand for a handshake and was met with the most aggressive handshake of his life. Tamaki’s arm was thrown about as high and low as it could have gone without hurting him, and Renzo was snickering just about the whole time. “So nice to meet you, if I didn’t know any better I would say my own mother likes you better than some of her kids.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not some, but one of her kids, meaning you,” Aito butted in, which made his wife giggle softly next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would only be true if you continue to yell in my home, Renzo, calm down,” Sora reprimanded, getting a short eye roll from her youngest son. “I wanted them to meet you, since you’re sort of like part of the family - or, at least will be one day,” she added with a giggle and wink in the direction of the couple sitting on the floor.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would hope you don’t take our mother too seriously, she always thought she could guess who we were going to marry before we actually did,” Aito said to Tamaki, who only looked slightly overwhelmed, especially considering the circumstances. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So they’ve already talked about this before I got here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> right about us, though,” Hina mentioned, casting a small smile over at Makoto who responded with a soft ‘mm’ and a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind,” Tamaki assured, giving Reina a grin, though she was looking up at him with apologetic eyes. “Who knows, she may be right about this one, too. I’ve taken it as a compliment that Sora would believe I could marry such a pretty girl,” he added, making Reina relax just a little bit more into his side, though she still watched him to make sure he seemed comfortable. Sora let out a little giggle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you two physically match each other perfectly,” she teased, her eyes twinkling just a bit as she watched them each turn a little pink. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Physically in both looks, and other ways as well, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself, thinking back to just the night previous. She didn’t actually have any intentions on going and seeing Tamaki on Friday night, nor did she expect to see him anytime during the current day, but somehow they each had found a way to bring the other one over. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Last night he called me to say he was right by my house and offered to pick me up for the night, giving me virtually no time to actually think about it. And after enough pressuring from Sora and teasing from Renzo today, I once again had almost no other option than to invite him over, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she recalled, glancing back up at Tamaki who had begun to finally seem comfortable while listening in as Makoto began to talk about work. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not really complaining, though. At this point, I feel so intertwined with him, I think it would have been weird to go the whole weekend without seeing him, I probably would have felt a little bored - even with other things going on. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina had been so deep in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Benjiro until he plopped himself into her lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look!” He beamed, holding up the drawing for both of them to look at as the rest of the adults continued in conversation. Reina let out a quiet gasp, reaching out and holding onto the drawing so he didn’t have to keep his arms uplifted anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This looks so good! You were sure working hard over there,” Reina gushed, keeping her voice at a low level so as to not disrupt the work talk happening in front of them. Tamaki glanced over at the drawing, smiling softly down at the incoherent scribbles. “Show me everything - walk me through it. I like it all so much that I don’t even know where to start,” Reina said, giving the boy a tiny nudge. He grinned, leaning his head back to rest against Reina’s collarbone and settling further into her lap. Reina’s bottom lip popped out just a bit, still gushing over how cute the boy was, especially cuddling up with her. Tamaki was also melting over the sight of the scene. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’ll be such a good mom to our children.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s the sun,” he said, pointing to the yellow circle in the top right corner. “And then this is a park, the one mommy takes me to,” he added, pointing to some of the colorful scribbles in the middle of the paper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have such a good memory! Are these the swings right here?” She asked, pointing down to a spot on the page. When Tamaki looked at it, all he could see were grey lines, but Benjiro nodded rapidly, clearly very excited that Reina had guessed correctly. “You’re such a good artist, you must take after your uncle,” Reina pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could sell your art anytime you want, buddy,” Renzo whispered from the side of Reina, making Benjiro grin even brighter. Renzo had grown bored of the conversation about Makoto’s business very early into it and had started listening into their chat about the drawing instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With all due respect, please never compare my son to Renzo again,” Aito mused, cutting Makoto off in the middle of his sentence. Makoto sent a little glare over at his older brother, who didn’t seem to notice, before huffing and turning back to Sora to continue telling her about some of their more recent achievements. Reina giggled just a bit and mouthed an apology over to Aito before turning back down to the drawing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is a duck we saw last time we went to the park, he was mean,” the boy explained, pointing to another yellow scribble on the page, but this particular scribble had very clear, sharp teeth drawn on it. “I tried to give him bread and he tried to bite me. Mommy said it was my fault.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said it was your fault because you were supposed to drop it, not stick it in front of his mouth. He didn’t try to bite you, he was trying to eat it,” Mitsue told him with a little sigh. “He’s been talking about it all week, he’s going to have some irrational fear about ducks now, I think,” Mitsue explained to the group who was now listening to Benjiro. Even Sora was hanging onto Makoto’s ramblings on a very thin thread, but Hina was intently relistening to everything she had already heard her husband tell her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was mean,” Benjiro repeated matter-of-factly, which made Tamaki give a little chuckle. Benjiro only seemed to just notice Tamaki’s presence at the sound of his laugh, and he whipped his head around to look straight at the amused blonde. Benjiro stared at him for a quick moment before he glanced down at the arm he had around Reina, then turned back to the page in front of them, deciding to ignore Tamaki altogether. There was only a short moment where Tamaki felt a shock to the ego, mostly because of how judged he felt by the four year old, but he chalked it up to being a stranger and decided he would formally introduce himself after he was done explaining his drawing to the group crowded around it. “This is the lake at the park,” he added, pointing to the large blue shape at the bottom of the paper. “And there I am swimming in it,” he grinned, pointing to a peach colored figure in the middle of the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you swam in it before?” Reina asked curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep!” Benjiro beamed. Tamaki and Reina both exchanged a glance before looking up at the boy’s parents, both of which were laughing very quietly, trying not to wake up the newly napping Asami in Mitsue’s arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For some reason, he says that he went swimming in it every time he comes home,” Aito clued them in. “He has definitely never even dipped a foot into it.” They each let out their own little laugh, looking back down at the drawing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And that’s it! You can keep it!” Benjiro said, taking the drawing from Reina’s hands just to place it back into them symbolically. Reina let out a little gasp, looking down at him with a wide grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I get to keep it? That’s so nice of you! I’ll keep it forever, thank you Benjiro!” Reina effused, wrapping her arms around Benjiro and giving him a tight hug, wiggling her body just a bit to make him laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to say I’m jealous, I wish I could have a drawing as amazing as that,” Tamaki mused, looking down at Benjiro. The boy blinked, the gears in his head turning as he thought about it before turning to look at Tamaki, the same seemingly judgy look on his face. This time, Tamaki didn’t let him affect him as he held his free hand out to Benjiro. “I didn’t get to really meet you, my name is Tamaki.” Benjiro glanced down at his hand before looking between his parents and Reina, then finally took his hand and allowed Tamaki to give him a miniscule handshake. “You’re such a good artist, I hope Reina will let me take a picture of your work,” Tamaki elaborated, trying to get Benjiro on his good side, but finally the kid’s face showed some clear confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You both can keep it,” he said, looking between him and Reina briefly before his eyes landed on Tamaki again. “Don’t you live together? It would go to the same house.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no, I live here with your grandma,” Reina said with a little smile down at Benjiro. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember Benny? There was a boy here last year that lived with Jiji and Sobo, too? It’s the same situation,” Aito said, trying to jog his son’s memory, but it only seemed to confuse Benjiro further. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, right. I live with Saito, too, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina realized, hoping that she hadn’t offended anyone with just mentioning Sora. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So do you live with them here too?” Benjiro asked, turning to Tamaki. “Married people live together.” Tamaki let out a little chuckle, shaking his head with a gentle smile down at Benjiro. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina and I aren’t married,” Tamaki explained, his voice going a little bit higher to mimic the way Reina talked to him, but Benjiro’s eyebrows drew tightly together as he looked back down at the arm around Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you aren’t married, then why are you touching her?” He asked, almost reprimanding Tamaki. His face immediately dropped and he went pale, just as Reina began to giggle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, your kid is a prude,” Renzo teased over at Aito and Mitsue quietly, getting a disapproving look and an eye roll back from them, respectively. “Hey, good question, kiddo! Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> he touching her? Maybe that’s something you should talk to your parents about, ask them about what adults do,” he prodded, getting two pairs of wide eyes sent in his direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about mind your business and wait until you’re older to ask questions like that? Come on, you should go back to drawing, daddy didn’t get to see the mean duck, go draw just that for him,” Mitsue said, motioning for Benjiro to go back to his coloring station, now playing into the ‘mean duck’ narrative to try and distract her son. Reluctantly, and with a soft pout, he stood up from Reina’s lap and made his way back over to the papers and crayons, dragging his feet dramatically the whole way over. Sora reached out and gave him a little pat on the head as he passed by her, still listening into what Makoto was trying to impress her with. “I could kill you, Renzo. Just wait until you have kids,” Mitsue sighed, sitting back against the couch and crossing her legs, holding Asami against her chest. “We’re totally going to do the same crap you do now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will never be having kids - gross. Too much work, they ask awful questions, they’re nosey, snotty - I love my niece and nephew, but noooo thank you,” Renzo said, almost gagging at the idea of children for himself. “I love to see them a few hours at a time. Besides, can you even picture me as a dad? Train wreck.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That last part is a fair point, I’ll admit,”  Aito nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what about you two? Do you two see kids in the future?” Mitsue asked, trying to shift the conversation to something lighter. Sora finally gave up on trying to hear everything that Makoto had to say and had started to listen into the new conversation about kids, though she would give Makoto a nod or a little interjection here and there to give him the idea that she was still invested in what he was talking about. “Separately - or together, I don’t know, I don’t want to put you on the spot or anything,” she added with a little laugh. Reina and Tamaki both looked up at each other, their cheeks only slightly pink at the elaboration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” they both said in unison, not breaking eye contact immediately. Reina finally was the first to look away, though she had a little smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told him before, but I didn’t really picture myself getting married and having any biological kids, I just planned to adopt. Even if I do somehow end up doing both of those things, I want to adopt as well. I’ve always really wanted to, but I think being a part of this whole host family program really solidified that calling that I felt for adopting, or fostering, or something,” Reina explained, glancing up at Tamaki, who was still looking down at her with admiration. “Tamaki said to me he would have a hundred kids,” she recalled, getting a wide grin from Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You remembered!” He beamed, tugging her closer to his side. Mitsue let out a little laugh at the pair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To have a hundred, you would have to start now. I sure hope that isn’t the case, you two are far too young,” Sora finally piped up, just as Makoto was finishing his current sentence. It was clear by the look on his face that he wasn’t quite done with his stories, but after another tiny huff and Hina resting her hand on his arm to calm him down, he just let it go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not the case,” Reina said quickly, shaking her head a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d want to wait until high school is finished before having any kids,” Tamaki added, getting a raised eyebrow from Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Longer for me,” she mentioned casually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a smart decision,” Makoto said, making everyone in the room turn to him. “Waiting longer is a good move to make, you’ll have plenty of time to </span>
  <em>
    <span>procreate</span>
  </em>
  <span> after having your careers established,” he said, casting a short glance over at Benjiro and just hoping that the kid had no idea what ‘procreate’ meant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I agree, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>long, my dears,” Sora said, leaning forward in her chair to pat Makoto’s knee. “I’m still waiting for you two,” she offhandedly mentioned, making Makoto grimace and Hina let out a tiny, nervous laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re still much too young for kids,” Hina said. As soon as the words left her mouth, she shot an apologetic look over at Aito and Mitsue, though neither of them seemed to have taken notice. Mitsue had been giving birth at the same age that Hina currently was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Careers are the easy part if you have nannies - Reina, Tamaki, can you two believe that Mitsue refuses to have nannies? I’ve offered to employ one for her many times, but she wants to do it on her own,” Sora said, reverting back to her gossipy state. “I pray for her everyday.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Every time you say you’re praying for us, it always seems so backhanded,” Aito muttered, but Mitsue lightly slapped his arm, telling him to back down from the potential argument. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s so interesting,” Reina said, trying to pick her words carefully as to not offend anyone in the room. “Not even at night?” She asked, getting a little head shake from Mitsue. “My parents always had nannies - but I’ve lived in one house that only hired someone for the nights and that seemed to work for them, at least. And I lived in another that definitely never had any help, not even an occasional babysitter. Being in all different houses and environments, it’s so cool to see what works for some people and what doesn’t work for others. But you seem like a really involved mom, so I’m not surprised,” Reina concluded with a little grin, deciding that those were the right words. Mitsue gave a soft smile, glancing up at Aito who also seemed pleased with the answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I take a guess and say that you’re probably the oldest child?” Makoto asked, which made Reina give a little nod. “You seemed very relaxed with the children.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My sister is about 8 years younger than me, so I sort of feel like I watched her grow up. My brothers are only a few years older than Benjiro is so I feel used to that age, even though I don’t see them all too often. I also helped out a lot with them when they were babies, so playing with Asami just feels natural,” she explained with a soft smile. “Plus I had younger host siblings in two of the houses I’ve lived in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you said that your family always had nannies?” Sora asked, furrowing her eyebrows, which made Reina give a little nod. “I can’t imagine the nannies would have needed all that much help from, what, an eleven year old?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but my brothers are twins, and they only hired one person for them, so I ended up helping out a lot. I remember one time my parents took my sister on vacation for a week or two so I had to help out even more than I normally did - I think I slept for three days straight once they got back,” she said with a little laugh. Tamaki turned to her, a bit bewildered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They went on vacation without you?” He blurted out, though everyone in the room was thinking it. Reina gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her birthday is in the summer and that’s when they went, so I think it was a belated gift. I went on a ton of vacations with them before the rest of them were born, so it’s only fair,” she said, glancing around the room to see some shocked faces. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. Maybe not fair, or normal? Oops. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Plus I’ve been on a five year long vacation, so I won that contest,” she teased, giving Tamaki a little grin, but his face still reflected back with a hint of sorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, now that you say it like that, it does sound fair. Why didn’t you guys ever bring me on any vacations for just me, since they had been able to go before my birth?” Renzo asked, turning to Sora who was already giving a little sigh at his shenanigans. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renzo, I don’t think anyone particularly wanted to take you on the family vacations in the first place,” Makoto said. Reina would have considered it his first joke of the day - had he not said it so seriously. It still got a few laughs, though. The group carried on in conversation mostly about some fun vacations they went on, which allowed Tamaki a little bit of time to reminisce on his mini vacations he would take with his mother around France. Asami began to stir on Mitsue’s chest and once she was finally awake, Mitsue looked up at Reina with a pleading grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you mind coming with me while I change her diaper? She can be squirmy, it helps when she has a distraction that isn’t me,” she said, standing up from the chair. Reina beamed as she jumped up from the ground, Tamaki’s arm falling from her in the process. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” She nodded, following Mitsue’s lead as she walked out of the doors. Sora stretched slightly and glanced down at her watch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take this lapse in conversation as an opportunity to go and make sure I have everything packed. Hina, dear, why don’t you accompany me? It’ll give us some girl talk time,” Sora said, looking to Hina as she stood and held her hand out for the woman, giving Hina practically no opportunity to say no. She took the elder’s hand and stood, giving a little nod. “We can talk about baby names - I’ve always thought Sora would be a cute name,” she sang teasingly, pulling Hina from the room. A tiny, uncomfortable laugh could be heard. Right before they departed, Hina sent a look back at Makoto, who was already giving her an apologetic look and a tiny shrug. The double doors closed behind them, which left the five boys silently sitting in the room. Tamaki glanced around before finally braving himself to ask what he had been wondering all along. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why isn’t Saito here?” He asked, which rang through all of the brother’s ears. Aito looked over to ensure that Benjiro was still preoccupied with his drawings before meeting his brother’s looks. Each of them exchanged a glance with one another, before jumping at the opportunity to answer the question themselves, though their words all jumbled together in their hastiness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He never shows,” Renzo shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s hardly invited,” Aito admitted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s a very busy man, and doesn’t have time for these things,” Makoto finished. Tamaki blinked, looking between the three men who were clearly somewhat annoyed with the other brother’s answers. Renzo and Aito both sent a short glare over to Makoto, but he didn’t reciprocate, and instead just continued to look back at Tamaki. “Have you met him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Renzo answered before Tamaki to get to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was clearly not asking you. You’ve obviously met your own father.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was saying </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> has, stupid. You sure like to play smart for an idiot, that’s for sure,” Renzo mused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stand down, Da Vinci. Sorry,” Aito sighed, turning to Tamaki, who honestly was just watching the group in curiosity. “You’ve met Saito?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Once, but I’m not really sure it counts, we didn’t really talk to each other,” Tamaki said. Renzo looked over to Tamaki, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad went up to Reina’s room and he was there, so dad left,” Renzo finished for him. The other two brothers blinked in a bit of astonishment, looking from Tamaki to Renzo before Tamaki finally gave a tiny nod in confirmation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can more than guarantee that if you know about that, so does Mitsue, and she’s already handling that now,” Aito rationalized, sitting back into the couch. “Asami is an angel, even during diaper changes, I knew there had to have been something else going on.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and your wife don’t talk or something? I thought married life was great, that’s what you preach -” Renzo started to ramble, but caught onto Aito’s glare and constant glances over at Benjiro, so immediately shut himself up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t like to worry me, she waits until she knows everything I need to know first,” Aito said simply. “Married life is great, thanks for listening to that part.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of which, how exactly were you aware of that?” Makoto asked, turning to Renzo. A little huff came from the youngest son’s mouth as he turned to Tamaki, loosely motioning to his other brothers with a little head shake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go figure. I’m the only one that calls our mother and </span>
  <em>
    <span>somehow</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m still the least favorite.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I guess you didn’t really need to come with. She’s being really good, it must’ve been a good nap,” Mitsue sang down at her daughter, giving the baby a dramatized grin, nose scrunch and all. Asami let out a little giggle at her mother before turning back to Reina who was sitting on the edge of the bed right above Asami, holding a rattle toy above the girl and shaking it lightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay, I really don’t mind,” Reina smiled, giving the rattle another tiny shake before handing it to Asami, who had her arms outstretched for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you been enjoying your stay here so far?” Mitsue asked curiously, glancing up at Reina as she wrapped the diaper up and set it to the side, still holding Asami’s legs in the air. Reina gave a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am. I’m not sure if you mean here at the house, or in Japan, but I really like both,” she beamed. “My last house was really strict, so it’s been a breath of fresh air to be in a home where I’m trusted and can basically do what I want. I talk to Sora a lot as well, which is really nice, I enjoy being able to have a relationship with her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“From what I’ve seen, Sora definitely got more relaxed as time went on. I met Aito in college so I didn’t get to see how his high school experiences differed, but I do remember coming to visit while Makoto was in high school and I just know how different it was from when Renzo was in it,” Mitsue started very gently, grabbing a new diaper and slipping it under her daughter, making sure to take her time to allow herself the flexibility to get to everything. “Can you believe that my first visit here, Aito and I were required to sleep in separate rooms at the beginning of my trip?” She asked, getting an eyebrow raise from Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I can’t picture that,” she laughed a bit. “In college?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In college. We were practically engaged at that point, I think he already had the ring. Of course, as young adults do, we didn’t really abide by that rule and I don’t even think Sora really expected us to follow it either. We would start the night in separate rooms, and then eventually one of us would just migrate to the other,” she added, glancing up at the girl who was softly giggling at the idea of Sora implementing any rule such as that one. “There was a knock on my door one day,” Mitsue continued, her voice turning a little more serious, which made Reina involuntarily tense up. “Aito didn’t normally knock, he would just wander in. If he did knock, it was a quick one to let me know he was there before just coming in. But he didn’t come in, the door never opened, so I called out that they could enter. It was Saito, which was actually the first time I had met him - I think it was on the third or fourth day of my visit,” Mitsue said, finally clasping the diaper in place, but taking extra long with the pants that Asami had been wearing. “I think you’ll probably understand when I say that I initially thought he was doing bed checks, just making sure that Aito hadn’t come into my room or anything. But he didn’t act that way. Instead he walked in and sat on my bed and started asking me questions - just normal questions about what I was majoring in or little things like that. It was some sort of weird timing because the second he reached out and touched my knee, Aito came in. I still thought I was going to get in trouble somehow, like maybe he stuck around to see if Aito would show up. But the second Aito was there, his dad stood up and bid us both goodnight and left. I didn’t see him again for the rest of that trip. We both felt sort of weird about it,” she said gently, lifting Asami back up and holding her against her chest once more. “So we talked to Sora about it after Makoto and Renzo left the table after breakfast the next morning. She apologized and let us sleep in the same room so I would feel more comfortable.” Reina gave a little tiny nod at the end of the story. “We don’t see much of him anymore. I don’t want to think ill-willed of anyone without knowing their true intentions, but I won’t allow my children in this home alone knowing he still lives here, just in case. We were all a little worried when we found out a girl was moving in, they had only ever had sons and then only ever had boy exchange students in the house,” Mitsue continued, then slowed her talking for a moment, her eyes fixated on the bedspread. “I have to admit, Sora told me about what happened about him coming up to your room. I was calling her every week. I never flat out asked, but I think she knew that I was checking in out of concern. I just want to make sure you feel safe and comfortable, and make sure nothing else has happened.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Reina said with a tiny, exasperated laugh. She pulled her legs onto the bed as Mitsue sat down across from her, crossing them as she turned herself to face the woman better. “I actually haven’t even seen him since then. I don’t even know when he’s home and he’s not, I’m not sure if Sora told you about the whole door sensor thing,” Reina mentioned, getting a tiny little nod from Mitsue in return. “I have a feeling that he’s probably not around all too often. But aside from that, similar to what you had said, I don’t want to think badly of anyone without knowing their intentions, and I’m sure that everything was going to be fine that night. I feel bad thinking negatively about him, I wish I could talk to him more to wipe those thoughts from my mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s fair we both stay open minded - but also keep ourselves safe,” she said softly, which Reina gave a slow nod to. “I think it would be hard for you to get to know him since he’s never here. I’m sure you’ve already noticed his absence, but it’s been like that for a while,” Mitsue mentioned. “And the new circumstance with the door opens doesn’t make anyone feel any better about the situation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would Sora leave if he were to be doing something behind her back?” Reina asked bluntly, which shocked Mitsue a bit. She glanced down at the baby in her arms who was still blissfully chewing on the rattle between her tiny hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not sure,” she finally answered. “It’s hard to tell. They’ve been together for so long, and divorces with money can get messy. We’ve talked about it before, Aito and I. We’ve also talked about it with Renzo. Makoto isn’t one to gossip, even if it is about serious matters, but Hina will call me sometimes after one of us has talked to Sora to talk about it. I think we all want her to, even if Makoto won’t say it outloud to anyone. She knows she would be taken care of no matter what, or at least I hope she knows that.” Reina thought about it for a moment, then with a little sigh, thought of something. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe the kid could help me with something, I think he owes me that much at least. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a friend,” Reina started softly, looking over at the bedroom door that they were in just to ensure nobody was lurking in the doorway. “His family has a police force that does a lot of investigating - sometimes I feel like they’re hired on to solely investigate me, but I digress - and if you and the others thought it might help out Sora to know what’s going on, I could ask him to send an investigator to watch Saito’s movements. But that’s only if you guys think it’s a good idea, I won’t do or say anything without your approval.” Mitsue blinked back, stunned. “I know it’s weird - trust me, I know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would need to talk to Aito,” Mitsue said carefully, still in thought. “Makoto would never be on board, and Renzo would jump on it in a heartbeat. Aito would probably need to be the only one to know since he’s the peacekeeper of the brothers,” she rationalized, letting out a soft huff. “I’ll talk to him, thank you,” she finally said. She slipped her phone out from her pocket and handed it over to Reina, giving her a gentle smile. “Will you add your number in?” She asked. Reina gave a little nod as she began to input it. “I can call or text you once we’ve made a decision. Will you also do me a favor?” She asked tenderly just as Reina handed the phone back, getting another tiny nod back. “Let me know if anything happens. None of us are that far and can help you. I remember how uncomfortable I was telling Sora what had happened to me, and I didn’t have to live here. We can be here in thirty minutes.” Reina smiled very softly at the woman in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s so weird, I haven’t had such a large support system - probably ever. I have Tamaki and his friends, my own friends, my host family, Connor, my previous host family. It feels weird to have all these people here who seem so genuine in their caring about me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I think I can do that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renzo, I have the best news for you,” Sora sang as she wandered back into the formal living room. Hina trailed behind, a sorrow filled look on her face as she took a seat next to Makoto. They talked through their eyes and facial expressions, very subtly, and Makoto just knew it wasn’t great news. “I can finally take you on that trip without your other siblings!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what’s the catch?” Renzo asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. Suddenly, it dawned on him. “He cancelled.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When one door closes, another opens, and now I’ll get to spend some quality time with my youngest son. We’ll run by your house to grab some items for you,” Sora said with a grin, still somehow able to keep up her cheery persona. Aito let out a loud huff, shaking his head a little bit as he glanced away from the scene. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll gladly come with you, but I thought I was supposed to sneak into the house tonight to make sure there were no teenagers with alcohol poisoning,” Renzo added coolly. Sora gasped loudly, her hand covering her mouth in a dramaticized shock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said no such thing!” She retorted, before scanning the room and realizing that Reina was still with Mitsue elsewhere. She dropped her hand from her mouth and gave Tamaki an innocent little grin. “Don’t tell Reina about that, please. But I think I can trust Tamaki to make sure nothing gets too crazy.” Tamaki’s heart began to pound as he let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Me? No, I’m not coming tonight. Reina said I shouldn’t, so I was just going to stay home tonight. Nope, I won’t be here,” he rambled, little laughs still falling out as his face grew red. Sora raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I recall you also weren’t invited on the birthday trip. I have a sneaky suspicion that you were planning to be here no matter what,” Sora responded with a shrug, which only made Tamaki go a deeper red. “I’ll keep your secret so long as you keep mine. Have fun tonight, my dear, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> much fun. I do trust you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of </span>
  <em>
    <span>trust</span>
  </em>
  <span>, where is </span>
  <em>
    <span>dad</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to stay tonight then?” Aito asked, a clear bitterness in his tone, but Sora shrugged it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who knows. Just not here, and everyone’s been made aware of that. Most of the staff will be gone, but the drivers are fully loaded and will be guarding the driveway. Don’t worry, I’m not going to let that old sourpuss ruin a fun party.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think anyone was worried about the party, </span>
  </em>
  <span>all of the others in the room thought simultaneously. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0057"><h2>57. The Party Begins (57)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>A/N: flashback in bold :) </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty Seven</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who destroyed your room?” The twins asked from the doorway of Tamaki’s bedroom, making the half naked boy jump at their voices. He turned to them, a clear frustration written across it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who the hell let you in my house? I told you just to text me when you got here,” he hissed, throwing yet another shirt into the ever growing scattered piles across his bedroom floors. The twins each crossed their arms and leaned against opposite sides of the doorframe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Door was unlocked,” Kaoru mentioned. Tamaki blinked back at them, realizing he probably hadn’t been thinking straight when he got home from Reina’s house. He had been too nervous, and somewhat excited, to just get back to her house for the party. The staff had already gone home early since Tamaki had made everyone aware he wouldn’t be home for the night, so that responsibility was supposed to lie in his hands. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Other than a shower, I’ve gotten nothing done. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Plus we were early, so we needed to come inside.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s not like we can get there early, it’s not even the full hour before guests can come,” Hikaru shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And from the looks of it, it’s a good thing we got here early,” Kaoru said, looking around at all the seemingly rejected clothes one more time. “Do we need to go to a store or something? Mom probably has something good for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have enough options, I don’t need to add anything else to the mix,” Tamaki grumbled, planting his hands on his hips as he began to scan over the piles below him. Both of the twin’s eyes shot wide open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These are all still options?” Hikaru asked, mouth gaping. Tamaki gave a tiny nod back, but was still looking around at the clothes. He kicked one of the many piles to the side as he decided that he didn’t like it as much as he liked the rest, but that still left over a dozen still remaining. “We’re going to be stuck in this room all night.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never been to a party,” Tamaki swiftly defended, kicking another small pile to the side. “And I can’t text Reina to ask because she doesn’t think I’m coming. I tried super hard to keep myself quiet about it, I even offered to come see her tomorrow as if I wouldn’t see her tonight,” he added, almost beaming to himself over how sneaky he had been thus far. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss, I don’t think she’ll actually care that you’re there as long as you’re not actively policing her,” Kaoru mentioned, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked down at the piles and pointed to one that had dress pants and a button up. “Knock out that one. This is a party, not some formal dinner.” Tamaki grimaced slightly, but took the advice as he kicked it to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, what the hell are these options, boss?” Hikaru asked, finally resigning from his leaning position to head over to the clothes. He picked up one option that had a polo shirt and a light colored sweater, alongside khakis. “Nobody is going golfing, you’ve seriously never even seen a party like in movies?” Tamaki scrunched his nose up, hands still planted against his hips before he reluctantly gave a small, sheepish shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if you two are under dressed?” He asked genuinely, glancing between the twins who were both wearing different variations of jeans and tee shirts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not,” they agreed together, just as Kaoru made his way over to begin to sort through the remainder of the piles with Hikaru. They worked much more swiftly than Tamaki had been. Tamaki let out little whimpers of disagreement each time they tossed aside one of his favorite stacks, but neither of them listened to his protests as they worked together vigilantly. Finally, they dwindled the large groups down to two singular stacks. “This one,” they said in unison, each of them pointing to the all black stack. Tamaki stared at it, his nose still scrunched. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That one?” He asked to clarify, getting two nods in return. He made his way over to it with his gaze darting between the twins and their pick. It was a casual black sweater thrown on top of a pair of black jeans - an outfit that had been pretty low on his personal list. “That’s not too boring? And I’m not going to look like Nekozawa if I wear all black?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, did this outfit come with a complimentary cloak and creepy ass puppet?” Hikaru asked with a raised eyebrow. Tamaki decided not to answer the rhetorical question, instead he just rolled his eyes as he scooped up the outfit choice and moved into the closet to begin to change, despite the twins obviously not caring whether or not he were to have changed in front of them. “Are you at least excited for your first party?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just worried that Reina will be upset,” he sighed from inside the closet. The twins cast a glance over at each other, a tiny smirk on their faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Hey, we’re coming to that party that you’re throwing,” the twins said together after their parents had bid Reina goodbye and left the dinner table, mostly to enthusiastically give the twins some more time with their friend. She looked up at them each from her water cup and gave them a tiny shrug. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Sure, if you want to. You can come at 8:30,” she smiled, taking another drink of water. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“The boss is coming, too,” Kaoru added, which made Reina suck in the side of her cheek, narrowing her eyes at the pair. “We talked to him today.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“So he told you that he got kicked from it?” She mused, and got two nods in response. “Listen, I wanted him to come, but I also want to have a good time.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Yeah, we know. Everyone agreed with you,” Hikaru noted. She turned her attention to him, an eyebrow raised, so he quickly went through the story about how they took a vote, and how the only pity vote thrown Tamaki’s way was from the stuffed bunny. “We told him that since you won our vote, he has to let you have fun.” </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Alright. And you’re not just coming to secretly watch me?” She asked, still watching them with caution. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“We would never!” Hikaru and Kaoru sang together, grins on their faces. “Just don’t tell the boss we told you, he thinks we’re being sneaky.” Reina watched them for another moment before laughing just a bit and giving a slow nod. </b>
  <b>
    <em>It’ll be more fun with him there, anyway. </em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She won’t be.” Tamaki soon emerged from the closet in his new attire, and with another sigh, gave them a little nod as he stuffed some of his belongings into his pockets. “We’re probably good to leave now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck cleaning all of this up tomorrow, boss,” Hikaru mused as the three headed down towards the Hitachiin car patiently waiting out front. “What’s Reina like when she’s drunk, anyway?” Tamaki’s cheeks flared up only slightly as the twins climbed into the car first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how she would be in a party atmosphere,” he concluded as he followed them in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alone is a different story. Hopefully everyone goes home soon enough. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Should we stop and get her flowers?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For what?” Kaoru asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. Tamaki gave a little shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She was a part of the play, just not onstage. I don’t know if you’re supposed to get flowers for people behind the scenes,” Tamaki thought out loud, a frown now forming on his lips. “I can’t believe I didn’t think about it sooner. This is just like the cultural festival all over again - I’m sure other people got her flowers,” he said, his voice going somber as he began to slump further into his seat. The twins each rolled their eyes as Kaoru got the driver’s attention to reroute them. "In fact, I'm sure I'm the last one to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> about getting her flowers. Why didn't I think about this sooner? This is probably the real reason she didn't want me to come," he cried out as his body bent in half and his face hit against his knees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Calm down, we’ll get her some. Maybe you do need a drink, you’re going to need to calm down tonight,” Hikaru huffed, ignoring as Tamaki immediately perked up at the sight of them heading off to the local florist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The party was set up in a plethora of sections. On the back patio was the smoking section, alongside some beer pong tables, and some cornhole setups in the yard. The game room stayed pretty much intact with the availability to play any games, but it was mostly being used for karaoke for the moment. The dining room was being used for various other games, such as jenga and games that required playing cards. The front end of the house was where the majority of the party’s guests had been spending their time at. With the main lights dimmed and some colorful lighting added in to make it more fun, alongside loud music, there were a few groups dancing however most people were mingling and just spending their time there. The party had started off pretty tame, but as soon as the alcohol started to hit and the rest of the party began to filter in, it had swiftly turned into a rager. There were yells and cheers coming from every end of the house. Reina continued to make her rounds through each of the rooms, trying to mingle with everyone who was there, and found herself taking some sort of drink with her everywhere she went. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina!” A slurred voice called from the main foyer, which had her abruptly leaving Reo and one of his friends at the jenga station to go and find the other end of the mysterious call. When she exited the double doors, she was met with the sight of a few theatre men violently flailing their arms to get her attention through the crowd. Reina had a tiny grin on her face when she rushed over to meet them, and to Tamaki’s surprise, her grin didn’t leave her face when she realized that she had been called over to greet her new guests. Tamaki noticed a few things upon first glance. First of all, he noticed how much her outfit had differed from the rest of the girls in attendance. When he had first wandered into the house, he had noticed just how short and skimpy some of the dresses were and he visibly shuddered at the idea of Reina wearing something so revealing around a bunch of males while he wasn’t around. To his pleasure, he saw her dressed fairly modest in comparison. He also took notice in how they both had been sporting the dark colors for the night; she was wearing simple, black skinny jeans - though much tighter than his own, and a black tube top, but it covered more than enough skin for his liking, only really showing off a tiny flash of cleavage and a smidge of midriff. “I’ve been asking her when you were going to show up, I figured you'd show up,” the slurred voice said again in somewhat of a ramble, revealing to Reina that it had been the fairly tipsy Hiroto who had called her over in the first place. Tamaki gave a little smile and a nod to Hiroto before turning back to Reina, taking notice of the drink in her hand, alongside the rosey cheeks she had. He knew she had to have been pretty tipsy as well, since that was one of her telltale signs that she had been drinking - at least in the few times he had personally seen it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, welcome, my dear,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina giggled in French, stepping forward and hooking her free arm around his neck as she planted a kiss right on his lips, which confirmed his suspicions. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s speaking French, she’s not angry, and she’s immediately all over me. She’s getting cut off soon, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself as she pulled away, looking up at him with doe-like eyes and a soft smile on her lips, her arm still around him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Unless she keeps looking at me like that. I’m not sure I could tell her anything while she’s looking at me like that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he gushed internally, snaking his own free arm around her waist and holding her tightly to him as she turned, giving little grins and nods to the twins, who returned them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are the flowers for?” Kaito asked, popping up next to Hiroto, a little smirk on his face. His hands were held behind his back. Reina let out a tiny laugh as she glanced down, noticing the three bouquets of flowers in the boy’s hands, joining Hiroto and Kaito in their tipsy little snickers. The three boys exchanged glances, eyebrows furrowed, obviously not in on the joke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re for Reina,” Tamaki finally answered. Kaito whipped a tray out from behind his back, filled with plastic shot glasses of all types. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thought so! Reina, you know what that means,” Kaito laughed. Reina pulled herself from Tamaki’s grasp and held her cup out to him, non-verbally asking him to hold it for her, so he quickly obliged and took it into his hand. “I have jello shots for you guys, too. Reina made them and everyone has taken at least one when they first got here,” Kaito explained as Reina made her way over to Kaito. Tamaki was hardly paying attention to them as he leaned down to take a whiff of her drink and immediately grimaced. He turned to the twins, holding the cup out to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Smell that,” he hissed. They each furrowed their eyebrows but did as they were told, eyes widening a bit as they did. “That just smells like rubbing alcohol. One of you needs to go make a different drink so I can switch it,” Tamaki mumbled to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss, I told you that you needed to calm down,” Hikaru mentioned, but he was still staring down into the cup. Kaoru looked past Tamaki and his eyes widened a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, what’s happening? What was the question about the flowers for?” Kaoru asked, which made the other two’s eyes dart over in her direction. Reina was struggling to hold three of the shots in her hands when she looked back up at them, a little grin on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a little game we started at the beginning of the night, we had to take shots for however many bouquets of flowers that we got during the shows,” Reina explained, directly followed by the first shot. Tamaki’s eyes widened and he turned to the twins, begging them to do something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, you got a little carried away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> flowers were for you. Sorry to burst your bubble, ours are going elsewhere,” Kaoru swiftly jumped in, just before Reina could take the second shot. She glanced up at them then shrugged, handing each of the twins the remaining two shot glasses in her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay! Hand out the shots to whoever they’re for,” Reina said with a grin. The twins each nodded then sent Tamaki a look before heading off to find a trash can to dump the items into. Reina turned to Kaito, who seemed to be a little let down that she didn’t have to take the remaining two shots, but she slipped two jello shots off of the tray which perked him up a bit. “Are we still going to play a game?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whenever you’re ready,” Hiroto responded, giving her a cheesy grin as he leaned in towards her just a bit, but then immediately stiffened up as he glanced around. “Kaito, help me find Emica.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn dude, again?” Kaito groaned, but trailed after him anyway. Reina turned to Tamaki again, just as he was setting the flowers and the drink on a table nearby, praying silently that she would forget about whatever concoction was in that cup. To his surprise and satisfaction, she paid it no mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jello shot, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She asked, holding one of the shots out to him. He glanced down at it then hesitantly took it into his own hand as she grabbed a hold of his other hand, tugging him out of the foyer finally and further into the party, but still pulled them off to the side of the room and away from the larger crowds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a spoon?” He asked curiously, still staring down at the jello sitting at the bottom of the miniature shot glass. Reina let out a tiny giggle as she shook her head, which made him furrow his eyebrows. “How am I supposed to eat it then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m still surprised that these aren’t popular outside of the states. Every time I make them, everyone gets confused,” she laughed, grinning up at him. “But everyone likes them. I’ll show you. The easiest way is like this,” she said, moving the plastic between his pointer finger and thumb, then gently pushed his fingers closer together, bending the plastic and sending the jello further up. “That’s one way. Another,” she continued, pulling her own up to her mouth while keeping her other hand still against his. In a swift motion, she hooked her tongue underneath the jello and licked it out cleanly, making a chill go down Tamaki’s spine at the sight of it. She gave him a little smirk as she swallowed it down, then noticed his was still untouched. “If neither of those work for you, there’s a third option.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A spoon?” He tried again, getting a tiny giggle out of her as she cast the plastic in her hand aside. She took a step forward, filling the small gap between their bodies as she leaned up on her tiptoes, looking up at him with those doe-eyes that he had fawned over just minutes ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“No, but you could eat it from my mouth,” she said quietly, watching as his face almost instantaneously burned to a bright red state. </span><em><span>Have I said that one to her before? Why does it sound so much better coming out of her mouth? </span></em><span>He wondered, words unable to form.</span> <span>“But we always have time for that later,” she mused, pressing her hand against his chest with a little grin. He looked back down at the shot. </span><em><span>If she’s going to be like this all night, the twins may have been right, maybe I do need to just calm down. I’ll take her in this state all the time as long as she's just like this with me, </span></em><span>he thought as he finally brought the contents up to his lips, throwing his head back a bit to get it all. After a moment, Tamaki turned back to Reina, eyes widened. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those have alcohol?” He asked in complete surprise. She gave him a rapid nod, still grinning widely. “They’re really good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. We’ll get more later,” Reina beamed, grabbing onto his hand and began to pull him elsewhere. He wasn’t sure where exactly they were going, but after a few stops, he pieced it together. Reina had been pulling him to little groups of the party, conversing with them and checking in before moving onto the next, tugging him along with her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s something super endearing about seeing her casually host this party, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, watching as she moved from a group of guys to a group of girls, immediately changing her tone and jokes to best suit the group in front of her. He was practically ignoring the fact that she was being talked into taking shots with several of the groups with them, and even he was joining in on a couple of them, though he was much more enthusiastic when the group had jello shots to offer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you do that without another drink?” Tamaki asked as she bid farewell to the current group they were at. Reina peeked up at him as they stepped away and took notice of the grimace on his face. They had each just taken a shot of vodka, and it was exactly what he expected when he had made the terrible decision to smell it first. “You know, to wash it down. The ones without jello are horrible.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just get used to it eventually when you’ve had enough,” she shrugged a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough tonight?” He asked, trying to count the shots she had just in the amount of time he had been there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>One when I got here, another with me, four more just now - </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>six?! </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>Plus whatever she had before I was here, and whatever the hell was in that deserted cup. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Maybe you should slow down.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough in your life is kind of what I meant, but I guess both are correct,” she laughed, pulling him towards the game room. “I’m fine, but maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> should slow down. You’re slurring already and you’ve only had three.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not slurring,” he said with a scrunched nose. “You must already be drunk if you’re hearing me slur, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> should slow down.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re slurring,” Reina argued with a little giggle, stepping into the game room through the double doors and stopping once they got close enough to the group. As soon as they both stopped in place, Reina wrapped both of her arms around Tamaki from the side and rested her head against him, giving a little grin from the group who had seemingly taken an intermission from their previous karaoke activity. Hiroto and Emica were snuggled up on the couch, though Hiroto was basically sinking into it with his eyes closed, and he was very noticeably ignoring almost all of the conversation going on around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh hey!” Emica grinned after noticing their arrival, lightly nudging Hiroto, who perked up to look at the duo. Yuma turned around from his position on the ground and gave a cheeky grin to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard we’re going to play a game soon, any ideas?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know a few, yeah,” Reina responded with a little smile. “One of my favorites is a little complicated though, and I think there’s too much alcohol already in everyone’s systems for us to all get it, so we’ll have to find a new one. Maybe flip cup or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t have to be a drinking game, especially if you think we’re all drunk enough,” Yuma mentioned, a mischievous little smirk on his face. “Maybe we’ve all had enough alcohol to make spin the bottle acceptable,” he added, the smirk still intact. Tamaki stiffened, his hand against Reina’s waist tightening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina and I won’t be playing that,” he shot towards Yuma swiftly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No wonder Hiroto was worried about this guy, I should knock him out just for insinuating he would be anywhere close to kissing Reina - tonight or ever.</span>
  </em>
  <span> In his annoyance, Tamaki didn’t catch the little smile on Reina’s lips, nor did he really feel her squeeze him a bit tighter. Hiroto reached behind him to grab a hold of the pillow that was against his back, abruptly pulling it from it’s spot and chucking it straight at Yuma, hitting him square on the side of his head. Yuma jolted slightly on impact, but it didn’t affect him at all, really only making him let out a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Neither are we. Nobody else is kissing my girlfriend,” Hiroto announced loudly, making it very clear just how much more he had drank from the last time Reina had seen him as he tugged Emica closer into his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that sounds like a hell that I want no part in - thanks though,” Reina said simply, subconsciously nuzzling her head further into Tamaki’s side, which made a wave of pride wash over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your loss,” Yuma shrugged, taking another sip from the cup in his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, somehow I don’t actually think it’s our loss, but okay,” Reina laughed, looking at everyone else that was present in the room. Aside from Yuma and Hiroto, the rest of the occupants were just invited guests with no actual involvement with the theatre program. “Do you guys know of any others that wanted to join?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kane and his friends said they definitely wanted to join,” Hiroto recalled, glancing around the room with furrowed eyebrows. “Hey, where’d they go? Kaito’s gone too?” He asked, sitting up a bit. Emica blinked up at him before letting out a soft giggle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They left a while ago. Did you fall asleep or something?” She asked gently. He sucked the inside of his cheek, eyebrows still furrowed for a moment before he shrugged a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was comfortable,” he finally said, grinning down at her, just before slipping his arms away from her to stand. "Maybe someone can help me go find them,” Hiroto offered, looking over at Reina, who didn’t seem to understand that it had been an invitation for her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we all just plan to meet in the dining room in ten minutes? Make sure everyone has a drink with them,” Reina said, getting a few nods back. She looked up at Tamaki, who was still slightly glaring at the back of Yuma’s head. “Let’s go find Hikaru and Kaoru, I’m sure they’ll want to play,” she mentioned, finally getting a slow nod from Tamaki as he briskly pulled her out of the room and far from Yuma. Hiroto watched them leave, and soon after their departure, decided to seek out the whereabouts for Kaito and Kane on his lonesome. It didn’t take long for them to find the twins. They hadn’t strayed far, both of them had found a small group of first years who had also been invited and stuck with them in the main area. It seemed like they were far too eager to get away from the group of drunken peers, immediately agreeing to what was being asked of them without even hearing the whole pitch. Reina led them all to the kitchen. It was mostly empty, aside from one or two passing students who were also getting themselves some drinks. “Have you guys had anything to drink?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They forced us to try some of those jello shots,” Hikaru said as he motioned towards one of the trays that held quite a few more of them. Tamaki perked up as he reached out, grabbing one and taking it, much to the twin’s surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So not a lot yet? I’ll make our drinks then,” Reina grinned, lining up four solo cups and grabbing hold of the oversized bottle of vodka that was tucked on the counter alongside the rest of the alcohol. She unscrewed the cap and set it to the side, beginning to the pour into the first cup. Everyone watched as she continued on the same cup, seemingly dumping close to three shots worth into it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you planning to split that between the four?” Kaoru asked, eyebrows furrowed as Reina finally stopped. She glanced up at him before shaking her head and moving the bottle towards the next cup, but Kaoru reached across to stop her as Hikaru grabbed the first cup, peering inside to make sure they had seen correctly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not drinking this much,” he said with a grimace. Reina raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll pour less in yours. But that’s a normal amount,” she shrugged. Tamaki took the cup from Hikaru, shocked at how much was inside of it. He blinked down at the clear liquid, then back up at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s a normal amount,” Tamaki practically sang, which was the first time he had spoken since they had retrieved the twins. All three of them immediately noticed his slurring, alongside the playful teasing that probably would have been a screech had he not been at least tipsy. The twin’s eyes widened, but Reina just let out a little giggle as she took the cup back from Tamaki’s hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, this can be mine, I’ll add a healthier amount to the other three,” she compromised, setting her overfilled cup to the side to try and stray away from any more wandering hands. In the other few cups, she still poured with a heavy hand, but excluded roughly an extra shot from theirs. When she turned towards the fridge, the twins each looked over to Tamaki, who was sneaking another jello shot from the tray. With little huffs, they turned back to each other and gave swift nods. Hikaru took a hold of the shot tray and pushed it further onto the counter, which would make it much harder for Tamaki to slide any past them. Kaoru peeked over at Reina before taking his own action. “Everyone okay with cranberry juice?” She asked, looking back up at them to catch Kaoru with her cup in his hand, slowly pouring a small trail of the contents of it onto the counter that was already littered with liquid upon it, staring back at her with a flushed face from being caught. “You’re ridiculous. I thought you said you weren’t coming to watch me,” Reina sighed, shaking her head as she turned back down to the drinks in front of her and began to fill them with cranberry juice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Initially we weren’t,” Hikaru slid in, but it fell on deaf ears as Reina just let out a loud sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Tamaki said a little too loudly to Kaoru after he had finished his slow pour and set it back down by Reina, clearly blissfully unaware of the roadblock that had been placed in his own way. She peeked up at the three of them and gave a quick eye roll before glancing into the cup that had been given back to her. To everyone’s surprise, she still found the amount acceptable and didn’t repour any of the missing vodka, instead just filling it up with cranberry juice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pick your poison,” Reina said, grabbing her cup and then turning to grab some of the water bottles. “Will two of you carry in those jello shot trays?” She asked, turning back to look at the three of them, who all had their noses stuck inside their chosen cups to ensure they didn’t smell strikingly like gasoline. Reina rolled her eyes once more. “And will the third come help me with the waters? Everyone is going to need some.” Tamaki was the first to bolt over to Reina’s station, scooping up as many water bottles as his free arm would allow. After some quick thinking, he handed his drink off to Reina’s available hand to scoop up much more of the bottles now that both arms were free. Reina tried to stick one of the drinks between her arm and her chest to help him out, but he shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got them, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love, </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t you worry your pretty little face,” he beamed, his voice just as staggered as it just had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, the boss is drunk,” Hikaru muttered, staring over at Tamaki who seemed to really only be tunnel-visioned on Reina. “And to think that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was worried about </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Kaoru gave a little nod, watching as he leaned down, giving her a wobbly kiss on the forehead and dropping one of the bottles of water in the process, which made Reina let out a soft laugh as she strategically bent down to get it without spilling a drop of the alcohol. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s only been an hour,” Kaoru reminded Hikaru quietly, which made his twin’s face scrunch up a bit. Once they were all settled, the four of them all ventured out to the dining room, where quite a few participants were already waiting for them. The boys all set down the additional items on the table almost as soon as they made it in. Reina examined the room in front of her. Kane and a few of his friends were currently in a chugging contest while a few girls were cheering them on. Kaito had cuddled himself between another group and was acting pretty sociable with them, and Reina could hear that his voice was much louder than it ever normally was. Even Reo had joined in on the fun, singing along to the current song that was playing outside of the ajar double doors alongside some of the drunker girls. Reina’s eyes moved to the other side of the room where she saw Hiroto sitting in a chair, his head leaned all the way back as Emica stood behind him, her hands on his chest and her body leaned down, their heads side by side. Reina could see Hiroto’s eyes were closed but his mouth had yet to stop moving, though she couldn’t make out any of the words. She glanced back up at Tamaki and the twins. Tamaki had reached out to the trays and was taking another one of the jello shots, while the twins just watched him in fascination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? They’re really good, it’s like dessert,” Tamaki laughed, clearly all of his prior stresses about the night dissipating. “Honey-Senpai would probably like these if he drank. Maybe I’ll recommend them to him.” He set the empty shot back down on the table as he turned to the twins, who each had a little smirk on their faces and they gave the blonde a little shrug. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Am I the most sober one here? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered, glancing down at her cup. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess aside from the twins. Still, I gotta catch up, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina decided as she took a few large drinks from the cup, then set it down on the table just as she could overhear Tamaki rambling on about how he couldn’t even imagine Honey - nor anyone else in the host club - drunk. “Kyoya would finally be able to relax, he might even let us read his notebook!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s pushing it for sure,” Kaoru mused, watching Reina out of the corner of his eye as she began to set up water bottles in two lines across the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think Mori-Senpai would probably laugh more at everything - I think he finds us all funny, just silently,” he continued just as Reina had finished setting up the bottles and made her way back over. “And Haruhi would be so cute,” Tamaki concluded, a little grin on his face. Kaoru watched as Reina stopped for just a moment in her tracks before b-lining to her drink instead of making her reappearance into their conversation, taking another large drink from it and deciding to just try and ignore what she had heard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for sharing, boss,” Hikaru responded dully, his face fairly emotionless, but he was gritting his teeth slightly. Kaoru let out a silent huff that neither of the other boys took notice of. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hopeless. And we were doing so well. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina peered into her drink, which at this point was almost empty, so she swiftly finished it off then looked around again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Reina called out to get the attention on her, which worked pretty flawlessly. “Everyone in here wants to play the games, right?” She asked to clarify, getting a few nods and ‘yeah’s in return, but the majority of them had been muffled by Kane’s friend group letting out loud, encouraging cheers. Reina grinned widely, giving the small crowd a nod back. “Okay, I think flip cup is a good place to start,” she began, but her grin turned innocent and somewhat sheepish. “But we’re going to start with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bottle flip,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Reina said, motioning to the lined up water bottles. “Because I think everyone in this room could use some water in order to not die.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boo!” Hiroto called from his chair, still completely slumped in it, but he was now waving around his downpointed thumb in the air, just missing Emica’s face as she jumped back to avoid the collision. Reina narrowed her eyes over in his direction, then rolled them as she moved towards the lined up bottles and stood on one side of the table in front of one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you need more than just one bottle,” Reina said simply, getting a rapid nod from Emica in return. “It’s hard to land an empty bottle, so the game should go like this,” Reina began, scooping up the first water bottle in the row. “First in line takes this, drinks half, then flip,” she said, seamlessly flipping the bottle into the air, and it landed perfectly on it’s bottom against the table once more. “Then it would move to the next person. If you can’t land it in three tries, chug the rest of the bottle before the next person can start,” Reina explained, getting a few nods of understanding back at her. “Split into two teams, I’ll start this team off,” she grinned, hitting her palm against the table next to the water bottle on her side of the table. Tamaki was swift to move next to Reina’s side, planting an excessively loud kiss on her cheek as everyone else made their way to the front of one of the water bottles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m on your team!” Tamaki announced proudly, oblivious to the little smirks and giggles of those around the couple. Reina peeked up at him, giving him a tiny little smile alongside a determined nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“And Haruhi would be so cute” </span>
  </em>
  <span>replayed in her mind almost instantaneously, and she almost shuddered at it. She glanced over at Hikaru who was pushing his water bottle over then setting it back up, clearly over the encounter at this point. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s so easy to be nonchalant, and I just should be, but somehow I’m not. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Once everyone participating was in front of a bottle, she picked up her own then looked up at the person in front of her, who happened to be Hiroto. Reina cast a short glance over at Emica, who just gave a shrug back in return from Hiroto’s side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You ready, Hiroto?” Reina asked. He looked up at her, a wide grin spread across his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep, you’re going down,” he said, reaching out to grab the bottle while his eyes remained on Reina, completely missing the bottle altogether. Reina looked down at his hand that was frantically searching for the upright bottle, though he had failed to notice that he had already knocked it over. Finally he looked down and easily scooped it up, pretending like nothing had happened. “Someone count us in.” Kane and his friends were the first to jump in on that request, counting down from three. Hiroto opened the bottle and began to drink before they even finished saying the number one, but Reina patiently waited until they finished saying ‘go’ before beginning. She was quick to chug the amount of water needed and recap it before she got to flipping, just a little behind Hiroto. She landed the bottle first try so nudged Tamaki, and he quickly began on his own task, basking in the cheers from their own team. Hiroto let out a frustrated groan at the end of his three attempts, ripping the bottle back open to chug it in order to send the game down the line. Tamaki also seemed to be having trouble with getting the bottle turned upright, so he sped through his three attempts to chug the water before Emica could send the game further down on the opposing side. The moment that he finished drinking, he took in a much needed deep breath and let the bottle drop back onto the table, satisfied with the amount of time he spent on the task. Reina looked up at him and couldn’t help but smile as he turned to look at her, a grin mirroring back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sort of glad you couldn’t land it, I think you needed the water,” she casually mentioned, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes to be heard through the competitive chaos around them. Tamaki took a moment to think about his next words, but they slid out fast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I need you,” he responded coolly, moving his own body a little further down to ensure she had definitely heard him. Reina raised her eyebrows up at him, but only slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you needed the water more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re wrong,” he grinned. Reina watched him for another moment before laughing softly. She leaned up to press her lips against his ear, one hand pressed against his chest to stabilize herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me a few hours and I’ll be all yours,” she mumbled to him, a little smile still spread on her lips. The couple hadn’t even noticed that their team had won. The group continued on with a few more rounds of the same game, but had replaced the water with solo cups of beer, which Tamaki had decided he wasn’t fond of. The twins had each started to get a little more comfortable with the atmosphere, especially as they took on more of the beer that was slowly growing on them. A few participants dwindled out after each game, but once they got to about round five, it seemed like everyone was done for one reason or another. Some people had decided it was probably their time to venture home or to one of the mattresses that the Higurashi's had provided in the main living room. A few others, like Emica and some of the other girls in attendance, were ready to move onto something that no longer included alcohol. Tamaki and the twins on the other hand had felt like the party had just started, and were a little let down as things began to wrap up just as they were getting into the spirit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are there any games that four people could play?" Kaoru asked, a newfound enthusiasm in his voice. Reina gave him a wide grin and a quick nod. Tamaki took notice of how pink her cheeks still were, and he felt he could almost see some of her freckles poking through the constant blush. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Beer pong, we have tables set up outside and it's best with four!" Reina said, then turned to Tamaki who had already started to grimace at the idea of more beer. "We could put wine in our cups, I know we had a good stock of bottles at the beginning of the night." Tamaki's tune swiftly shifted to that of excitement, now mirroring the rest of the redheads by his side. "So Tamaki and I on one team with our wine, and you two with beer on the other?" Reina suggested, getting three nods back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wish everyone else was here with us," Tamaki casually mentioned, his eyes glossing over and an even bigger grin growing as he thought about it. "I'm sure they would have so much fun." </span>
  <em>
    <span>"And Haruhi would be so cute" </span>
  </em>
  <span>wisped through Reina's mind once more. She moved to speak, but a tap to her shoulder caused her to turn. Yuma was standing innocently beside her, alongside a small group of boys who were snickering behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I help you with something?” Reina asked genuinely, ignoring as Tamaki took another step closer to her. Yuma actually laughed at the protective man behind her, and in his drunken state, was more than happy to ruffle some of the eccentric boy’s feathers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re taking bets,” Yuma mentioned, motioning towards the boys crowded behind him. Reina waited for a follow-up, but through the silence, scrunched up her nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good for you,” she responded mockingly, an eyebrow perched. “Seriously, how </span>
  <em>
    <span>cool</span>
  </em>
  <span> of you to take on a bet,” she continued, giving a short hand clap. The twins eached laughed at her antics, but Tamaki seemed confused over the praise Yuma seemed to be receiving from Reina. “But what exactly does that have to do with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can make a bet, too,” Tamaki responded from behind Reina, but nobody paid his aggressive need for her attention any mind, all eyes fixated on Yuma and his companions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yuma thinks he can take all of these shots in a row,” one of the boys elaborated. Reina looked down at the tray that had six shot glasses filled with various contents in them, ranging from the jello shots to vodka to tequila paired with a lime. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I need a prize if I win,” Yuma continued, wiggling his eyebrows at the confused girl in front of him. He snuck a peek up at the fuming blonde, then over to the twins who were glancing between Reina, Tamaki, and himself. Finally, his mischievous eyes turned back to Reina. “I think I would want a kiss. You think I could get a kiss if I take all of those drinks?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in horror, and the twins glanced over at one another, wondering if they should step in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A kiss?” Reina asked inquiringly, receiving a smirk and a nod from Yuma. Tamaki took another step forward to end the scene, but Reina spoke before he could. “Yeah, for sure,” she nodded, not noticing as the three boy’s jaws dropped. “I think you would get quite a few, actually. All of them from a paramedic during CPR, though, and I can’t promise it would be a female one. You take all of those on top of what you’ve already drank and we’ll definitely be calling you an ambulance later.” Every tensed muscle in Tamaki’s body released and he leaned against Reina from behind, a smirk trumping Yuma’s previous one now parading in his direction. A few laughs commenced from the boys at Yuma’s side at his rejection, just as his eyebrows furrowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I meant,” he responded, but Reina shrugged in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Better try and ask someone else, then. But really, I don’t recommend taking all of those drinks. Before you get to that paramedic, you’d likely be making out with the toilet for a while too,” Reina followed up with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Told you she wouldn’t,” Kane yelled from across the room, followed by some laughter by his friends. Yuma turned back to Kane with a glare, but Kane was less than phased by the look. With an eye roll, Yuma shot another look at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Once again, it’s your loss. I’ll give you one more shot,” he tried, but Reina shooed him away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Once again, not my loss. And speaking of shots, don’t take all of those shots, dumbass,” she sighed. Yuma cast a glance over at the shots on the tray, and with a huff, motioned for his friend to set them back down before they left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I quite like seeing you reject other people in front of me,” Tamaki mentioned quietly into Reina’s ear, his smirk still slightly intact before he turned to the twins again. “Come on, let’s go start that game!” He called out enthusiastically. Before anyone could respond to his wishful thinking, Hiroto stumbled over to their group and planted himself right in between all of them, facing directly at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Can you spare five?" He asked in a teasing charm, waving a box of cigarettes in front of her face. Reina blinked back at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Only if you bring a bottle of water out with you," she responded back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Getting away for a second might be kind of nice. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hiroto gave an eye roll but ultimately nodded back at her request. Kaoru was the only one taking notice of the blonde who was quickly becoming more and more agitated with the second intrusion. "Where's Emica?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"With the girls doing karaoke again, I told her I'd come find her when we're done," Hiroto explained, grabbing onto Reina's arm to drag her out, but he stopped himself to turn to the other three. "Any of you want one?" He asked. The twins each shook their heads so he turned to Tamaki, immediately furrowing his eyebrows at the sight in front of him. "You just take a shot or something?" He asked in reference to Tamaki's scrunched up face. With no words to return with, Tamaki simply shook his head, his facial expression remaining intact. Hiroto studied him for just another moment before letting out a breathy, drunken laugh. "Ooookay. Weird. Anyway," Hiroto said, continuing on with his task to drag Reina out of the dining room. Before he could get her all the way out, she turned her head back to the three who were just watching them go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's ten cups on each side, in a pyramid, just under halfway filled! See you in five!" She called out right before the two successfully made it out the double doors and towards the foyer. Tamaki let out a frustrated groan, his head dropping down in a small defeat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The guy gets a girlfriend and still won't leave mine alone," he practically cried out, which got two shushes sent his way. “And right after I told her that I liked seeing her reject guys in front of me. She could have totally rejected him, too,” he whined. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up, boss," Hikaru said through grit teeth, the Haruhi comment flying back in his mind as well. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How ironic. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, she's allowed to have friends. We’re the ones technically intruding on her time with her friends by even showing up tonight, remember? She’s been with you since we got here," Kaoru sighed as they each grabbed a hold of the slumped blonde's arms and began to drag him to the kitchen. "She said she'd be back in five, let's just get the game set up and you won't even know that she's gone in that time."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I always know when she's gone," Tamaki admitted, eyes glossed over as he stared at the kitchen floor. Hikaru and Kaoru each looked up at him, then to each other, before starting to gather the items while still listening to him. "I always want her around, I always have, but more recently I've just wanted her </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>around."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And have you told her that?" Kaoru asked, getting a tiny shrug back from Tamaki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Basically. I mean, I think so."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It doesn't really matter whether you did or didn't anyway," Hikaru pointed out after they had retrieved all the items and made their way to the back patio. "It's not fair of you to expect her to spend every minute with you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But I want her to," Tamaki argued, a little pout on his lips, but he still started to help them out with the set up on one of the tables. Kaoru glanced up to respond, but behind Tamaki's head, he saw a mostly empty smoking section. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If they went to smoke, wouldn't they be there? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wondered to himself, losing every bit of interest in the current conversation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now that I think about it, I think they saw them head towards the front. So maybe they're there? Maybe I should go check on them, since everyone else here is hopeless - clearly. </span>
  </em>
  <span>"If I could become her host dad and let her live with me full time, I would." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So we're right back to square one with this creepy dad shit, huh?" Hikaru asked with a deadpan expression, which made Tamaki flare up in a bright blush. He opened his mouth to argue that Hikaru had it wrong, but Kaoru got his words out first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I left my phone inside, be right back," he said simply, turning on his heel and heading inside before either of them could question him. Kaoru easily glided through the crowds and made it to the foyer once more. He took a quick glance around to make sure nobody was around before he slowly clicked the front door open and took a peek outside. Just as he figured, Reina and Hiroto were sitting on the front steps, with more than enough space between them for Kaoru to constitute it as innocent. He felt bad for just a moment over the lack of trust he had in the pair and sheepishly moved to close the door once more, but froze in his tracks when he heard Hiroto speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I could have loved you."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0058"><h2>58. Signs (58)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A/N: Hello all! I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! Comments and feedback keep me going, and I would love hear how you feel the story is going to far :) Thanks! I hope you're enjoying!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Fifty Eight </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Hiroto wore a wide grin the entire time that he dragged Reina out towards the front steps. She contemplated mentioning the smoking section out back, but he seemed so determined in his stride towards their normal smoking spot that she didn't want to ruin his positive attitude. They each took a seat on one of the steps and Hiroto pulled out two cigarettes. He placed one right in front of her lips and she leaned forward to envelop her mouth around the tip of it without a second thought. </p><p> </p><p>"You know, I thought I would be annoyed all night," Hiroto casually mentioned as he lit both of the cigarettes for them. Reina peered over at him in the middle of her inhale. </p><p> </p><p>"Why's that?"</p><p> </p><p>"I thought everyone was going to annoy me like they usually do. But I'm actually having a lot of fun!" Hiroto beamed, consumed with a childlike glee that had been peeking through during the night. Reina gave him a little grin as she pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest. "Like I can actually stand everyone. I've really only ever drank during family parties, or like game nights with my siblings and stuff. I drank once with Yuma when we were first years and he annoyed the hell out of me, so I was worried about tonight," he elaborated, hardly paying attention to the lit cigarette in between his fingers, much unlike Reina who was puffing away on her own. </p><p> </p><p>“Well I’m glad,” Reina smiled back. <em>He’s a very chatty drunk,</em> she noticed, but didn’t really mind either. “It looks like you’re having fun. But it also looks like you need to drink more water,” she gently reminded, getting a playful nudge sent into her arm at the comment. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, sure,” he mumbled, taking a large inhale of his cigarette now that he finally remembered its existence. Suddenly, he perked back up and turned to look at her, eyes widened. “Did I tell you about my college decision?” He asked excitedly, and she shook her head a bit. “I’ve decided to stay here in Tokyo. I sort of wanted to travel, but my sister talked me into staying. She did the same thing and said living at home was much better than living on campus, and easier than getting an apartment somewhere else. She’s graduating this year from college and my parents are letting her take a year or two off to just travel and do what she wants since they didn’t have to rent an apartment for four years,” he grinned. Reina raised her eyebrows, but kept her grin. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s exciting!” She responded, not too sure how else to react. <em>He’s chatty, and I think being drunk deeply fucks up my people skills. Unless I’m playing games, partying, or </em><strong><em>entertaining</em></strong><em> a certain someone, I’m pretty much useless while drunk. Poor kid probably thinks I’m uninterested,</em> she thought to herself. Unbeknownst to her, he really hadn’t been paying much attention to her words with the speed that his brain had been working at. </p><p> </p><p>“Plus I’ll probably be married by the time I finish college, so I can travel with my wife for a few years,” he continued on, his beam still intact. Reina gave a little nod as she took another inhale. His smile slowly faltered as he watched her. “Do you think you’ll stay for another year?” He asked, seemingly just out of curiosity. She looked down at the cigarette for another moment before shrugging. </p><p> </p><p>“I have a hunch that I will. But I won’t know until the beginning of next year,” she answered as honestly as she could. </p><p> </p><p>“So I guess we worried about it for nothing then, huh?” He asked, which made her turn to look at him once more, her eyes a bit widened. “You said we should never be serious because we both may move. We worried about that for nothing then,” he reminded her. She kept her eyes on him, just in a stunned silence. “We could have dated.”</p><p> </p><p>“As they say, c’est la vie,” Reina said quietly, the rest of the words in her head just flying out of her brain. <em>Whether Tamaki and I are dating can be debated, but he and Emica are certainly dating. This isn’t happening.</em> His smile slowly reappeared as he pushed the cigarette back up towards his lips. </p><p> </p><p>“I could have loved you,” he mentioned, which made her completely freeze, eyes fixated on the embers on the end of his cigarette. “I think I could have. Like I really think about it, a lot,” he continued. Kaoru from the doorway crouched down in his spot, keeping the door only slightly ajar, and would take occasional peeks back into the house to ensure nobody was watching him eavesdrop. Reina didn’t take her eyes off the cigarette, not even daring to move to flick some of the looming ashes away. “I talked to my sister about you - not really because I wanted to, but because she knew I was thinking about something and pulled it out of me. She told me that there are always signs or something like that. Something about the universe telling you what you need to know, she’s kind of into some hippie crap,” he rambled, before realizing he was going way off course. “Anyway. She told me about that, and to search for signs, and the next week you invited us all over for game night. I thought that was my sign until Tamaki showed up,” Hiroto continued, his voice going a little quieter, and Kaoru had to plug one of his ears to try and drown out the loud music behind him in order to hear Hiroto. “I thought him talking to Himari was my sign, but it felt like I was searching for that sign so much, and that was probably the reason I figured out that he was never dating Himari in the first place,” Hiroto said with a little chuckle, pausing to take another inhale of the cigarette. Reina glanced over at him to catch him giving her a little smile, so she returned it before looking back down at her own cigarette in between her fingers. “So I drove him home, then back here, and I sort of hoped you two would be okay. I thought, shouldn’t I be hoping the opposite? But I didn’t. Then you invited me over again the next day. Still, I was holding onto that sign crap, but I was starting to lose hope in my sister. But then I felt like it happened. I saw you and Tamaki happy together, and I talked to Emica, and it felt like my sign had finally hit me in that conversation with her.” Finally, a real smile blossomed across Reina’s face as she turned her head to the side to look at him, under the impression that the conversation had been much more innocent then it first appeared. “I think I’m going to marry her.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m really happy for you two, it seems to be going well,” Reina beamed, finally doing the long overdue task of flicking her ashes away. “You think you’ll propose when she graduates?” </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe even when I graduate,” Hiroto mentioned coolly, shoving the butt of his cigarette into the concrete step and then folded his arms against his chest. “Or at least get her a promise ring to wear around school since I won’t be around to make sure everyone knows we’re together. I can’t have some guy swoop in while I’m not looking,” he added, a new twinge of bitterness in the last sentence, but Reina genuinely hadn’t noticed it over the new relief that had washed over her. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s sweet,” Reina responded softly, taking the last inhale before flicking the butt down to the bottom of the steps. “Well if you need anyone to subtly figure out her style and ring size, then let me know, I can take on that task for you,” she offered with a tiny grin his way, which made him let out a little chuckle. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” he said genuinely, his eyes fixated up on the sky. “Do you think you’ve had your sign?” He asked, seemingly out of the blue. She watched him for a moment, deciding not to speak until she got an elaboration - and with how talkative he had been, she knew it was coming. “Do you think Tamaki is your one?” He continued, and her breath hitched. Although she could have guessed what he was referring to, hearing the words out loud felt much weirder. Still, every part of her had been itching to go and find Tamaki to be in his arms since the moment the initial conversation had begun. With the understanding that the conversation wasn’t at an end yet, she reached down for another cigarette, but he retrieved it for her before she could, then lit it with ease with the lighter already embedded in his hand. She gave him a short nod before turning away, the new cigarette inching towards her lips, but it didn’t land on her mouth just yet.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know if I believe in all of that, like soulmates and a ‘one’ or anything,” Reina prefaced, which made Kaoru’s shoulders slump just a bit from inside the doorway. “Or - I guess I do, I just never really thought that <em>I</em> had a soulmate. I don’t know. Maybe,” she sighed, finally taking the first inhale. She could feel his eyes boring into her, but she couldn’t bring herself to look over at him just yet. Instead, her gaze turned upwards towards the sky, and subconsciously, she started to map the stars with her eyes. Hiroto continued to watch her as a short lived smile crawled onto his lips. “I do really like him.” His smile faltered, but his eyes remained soft. His gaze flickered down towards his hands in the midst of their lapse of conversation, and after another moment, he cleared his thought.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I ask you a question?” Hiroto asked, peering over at Reina who was still looking over the stars. She gave a tiny nod, though her eyes never left their spot on the sky. “Was it always him?” Reina took a moment to think about it while both inhaling and exhaling some of the smoke. Finally, she turned back to look at Hiroto. </p><p> </p><p>“I think so. I don’t think I knew that from the beginning, but I think it was always him. I guess there were a lot of incidents or coincidences that you could call signs, if you believe in that,” she concluded, slowly nodding her head as the words came out. She looked back up at the sky, but this time her gaze was short. <em>Being put in his class, and seated behind him. The fact that I lived in France, which was what drew him to me initially. That he needed costumes from the theatre department and I was able to help him to get them - even if he did plan for that one, that he had a club that I mistook for something else which accidentally opened me up to him more. Our parents knew each other. The similarities in our lives. The constant tug I feel to be near him. If signs were real, I’d be dumb to not notice any of them. That is, if they’re real. I always thought they were, but when talking about myself - I don’t know.  </em>“I think it’s always been him,” she repeated, this time a bit more confidently as she looked over at Hiroto, whose head was turned down towards his hands once more. Hiroto gave a short nod. </p><p> </p><p>"I figured," he admitted quietly. "I think I do believe in that. My sister talks about fate a lot as well. If we had officially dated, there's no way I would have dated your friend afterwards. So in a way, I have you and Tamaki to thank, since you two helped me and Emica to be together," he said softly, and somewhere in those words, there was a small sense of sadness.</p><p> </p><p>"I think I deserve more of a thanks, since I introduced you two," Reina teased, but Hiroto didn't laugh as he was still in his thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>“I think I’m going to marry her,” he repeated again, getting a tiny nod from Reina. “Because that’s what you do, right? You find someone you like enough, who likes you back, and you marry them?” He asked. Reina turned to him silently, hoping for a follow-up, but he had nothing to continue with. Slowly, she flicked some of the ashes off of her cigarette and gave a short shrug. </p><p> </p><p>“If you’re happy, then, yes,” she responded hesitantly, trying to dig around in the deepest parts of her brain for the right answer. “If she’s your first choice. You shouldn’t rush anything if you’re questioning the logic, though. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind waiting a few years for a proposal if that’s what you need to do,” she offered up, met back with more silence. “You just said she was your sign… So if you’re reading the signs, wouldn’t that mean you want to marry her? That you think she’s your one?” </p><p> </p><p>“I never said I was sure she was the one for me,” he responded, just a twinge of irritation in his voice. “I said she was my sign - my sign to stop fixating on you. If Tamaki wasn’t around, this would be a different story,” he told her, meeting her stunned expression. “I think I figured out why exactly I wanted you and Tamaki to work out, though. I think I wanted to see an example to prove you were actually able to commit, at least to someone, at least a little bit. That was my biggest issue.” </p><p> </p><p>“Afraid of commitment,” Reina whispered practically to herself, though Hiroto heard it loud and clear, and he gave a singular nod - essentially agreeing with what the twins had said on the beach trip. </p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to see you were able to do it. I guess to know that - I don’t know,” he continued quietly. “Maybe it could still be me one day. People find their way back to each other all the time.” Her eyes widened, but she couldn’t bring herself to respond. “Who knows. If you two don’t work, maybe this would still be a different story,” he muttered, practically unheard by Reina. He slipped the pack of cigarettes and the lighter into his pocket before he stood up from the spot he was sitting in and looked down at her. "I'm going to go find Emica, but there's one last thing I want to say," he announced, which perked Kaoru back up. "If you think he may be the one, maybe make a move. Who knows how long he'll wait for you to be ready. No offense, but it didn't take me too long to move on, and he could do the same. He has more options than I did," Hiroto said simply before turning on his heel to leave. His tone had felt quite a bit harsher in those last sentences than it had in the rest of the conversation. Reina's eyes widened a bit, but she couldn't find the words to respond. <em>Was that tough love? It just felt tough. </em>She immediately tried to chalk it up to the alcohol on both ends - maybe he was too drunk to notice the abrasiveness, and maybe she was too drunk to decipher how that had actually gone, but her stomach still did a few flips as his word of warning settled deeper into her mind. <em>I’ve always told him - and everyone - to go and find someone to make them happy, even if that doesn’t mean me. I’m so happy that Hiroto did - or, I was. Until those last few things he said, but I’m hoping I can just wipe those from my memory. But I don’t know how happy I could be if Tamaki found someone else. </em>Kaoru jumped up from his crouched position as Hiroto made his way closer to the door and Kaoru opened it up just as Hiroto reached out to grab the handle. Hiroto jumped back in a genuine scare, and Kaoru swiftly mirrored him, letting out even a little gasp to dramatize it further. </p><p> </p><p>"Whoa, sorry, I'm just looking for Reina so we can start our game. I didn't mean to scare you," Kaoru said, adding in a bit of a nervous laugh with it. Reina glanced back from her spot on the stairs and gave a half-assed wave in his direction. Hiroto gave a little nod to Kaoru then slipped past him to continue on his new venture to find Emica once more. Kaoru stepped outside and shut the door behind him, heading down to Reina. "You almost done?" He asked, which made Reina come back to reality. She glanced down at the half smoked cigarette in her hand then shoved it into the concrete with a little nod, choosing to abandon the rest of it. </p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, sorry, I didn't know it would take that long," she said as she stood, giving him a small grin. Kaoru eyed her, trying to decide whether or not he wanted to reveal that he had heard anything. "Let's go," Reina prodded, beginning to walk back up the steps. Kaoru trailed after her, but at a much slower pace. </p><p> </p><p>"It wasn't too long, really," Kaoru assured before Reina could open the door. "But the boss missed you, so I'm sure he'll be glad that you're coming back," he mentioned as casually as he could. Reina glanced back at him before giving a short nod and pushing the door open. <em>Shit. Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say.</em> "He missed you, but was also willing to wait, he’s pretty patient,” he said, suppressing his scowl. <em>Tamaki and patient don’t even belong in the same sentence. That might have been the biggest lie I’ve ever told.</em> “I came to find you on my own terms, he didn't send me or anything," he continued to ramble, worried that his words were digging himself an even deeper hole. She slowed her pace as they started to walk through the house. "Really. He missed you a lot, but likes you enough that he's willing to wait for you to come back."</p><p> </p><p>"You're not as sneaky when you're drunk," Reina mentioned softly as they made it to the backdoor, but she didn't open it. Instead, she looked up at him to catch the sight of his pale face and worried expression. "Don't worry. It's fine."</p><p> </p><p>"Just because one guy didn't want to wait doesn't mean Tamaki won't. The boss is more committed than that," Kaoru finally said. </p><p> </p><p>"I know," Reina said as she pushed the backdoor open, a little smile on her face. "And like I said, it's always been him. I'm not too worried." <em>I </em><strong><em>think</em></strong><em> I’m not that worried. </em></p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Tamaki and Hikaru had set up the game pretty seamlessly, but with Kaoru and Reina both M.I.A., they quickly grew bored and had started to practice their tosses into each other's cups; some <em>much</em> needed practice on both ends. Just when they both started to slightly get the hang of it, Tamaki felt a little tap against his shoulder. He excitedly spun himself around, a wide grin across his face as he expected to see Reina in front of him, but instead he was met with Himari. She was staring down at the ground, her hands now clasped in front of her body. Tamaki stood completely still, though he cast a short glance back at Hikaru, his eyes screaming for some sort of help. </p><p> </p><p>"Hi, Tamaki. Can we talk?" Himari asked quietly, her eyes still fixated down at her shoes. Tamaki looked up at the backdoor, silently praying that Reina would walk through the doors. After realizing that he had taken far too long to respond, he jumped back to the present. </p><p> </p><p>"Of course, princess," he responded after uncomfortably clearing his throat. Himari seemed to perk up at the pet name, her breath hitching for just a moment before she nodded and started to nonverbally lead him towards a side part of the yard. Tamaki shot another look at Hikaru, this time much more pleadingly, but Hikaru simply shrugged back, continuing to watch as Tamaki and Himari made it further into the grass and way too far out of earshot. <em>I haven't even seen this girl since she lied about dating me. She hasn't come back to the club since, not that I can blame her. </em>Tamaki had yet to really notice that they both had stopped walking and were just standing silently in the yard.</p><p> </p><p>"I just wanted to apologize for what I did," Himari finally said, her gaze pressed to the ground, one of her shoes kicking the grass subconsciously. "It wasn't right. I told everyone what happened." <em>I already got an apology, albeit, it was through Reina. I guess maybe she just wanted to apologize the right way. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Well thank you, princess," Tamaki smiled, casting another short glance at the backdoor to make sure he wasn't missing Reina's arrival. "I appreciate you fixing that." A question came to his mind, a question that had never really been answered during his previous interrogation. "I just want to know why," he blurted out. Himari finally looked up at him, her face full of confusion. "Why did you lie in the first place? I don't understand, what's the point?"</p><p> </p><p>"It just got out of hand," she admitted softly, her eyes shooting off in different directions to avoid any eye contact. "My mom kept asking if I had a boyfriend yet and I sort of just said your name to get her off my back since I had talked about you and the host club before. I guess I just liked that attention and the lie spread," Himari continued, biting down on her lip. Tamaki gave a tiny little nod. <em>I don't really understand, </em>Tamaki thought to himself, but pushed it aside. <em>I probably never will, I don't need to lie about what Reina and I have. </em>"I guess another part of it is that I do like you," Himari said, her eyes glossing over as the words left her mouth. Tamaki stiffened and once again, his eyes darted to the backdoor, but this time he was hoping that Reina would continue to take her time. <em>I don’t want her to walk out to see this. Whatever </em><strong><em>this</em></strong><em> is. </em>"I know Reina invited you, and I know you two have something going on, but I also heard that it's more casual then it sort of seems. I hope I didn't ruin my chances because I do like you, Tamaki," she continued, her voice a little more hopeful now. Tamaki's breath hitched as he turned to look at Himari, who was looking right at him at last. Her eyes were twinkling with courage, and as much as it pained him to do so, he knew he would be wiping all of that courage away with just a few words. </p><p> </p><p>"I'm afraid there's been some miscommunications, princess. I'm not too sure where you heard that what Reina and I had was casual, but that's incorrect We're very serious," Tamaki informed, shoving both of his hands into his front pockets. Himari's spirits seemed to be crumbling right in front of him, but for the time being, he actually didn't care as much as he thought he would. </p><p> </p><p>"You two are officially dating?" She asked, and in a way, he felt quizzed and conflicted. <em>I just thought I didn't need to lie about Reina and I's relationship. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Yes," Tamaki responded with a determined nod. <em>It's just a white lie. A little, tiny, small, white lie. We're </em><strong><em>practically</em></strong><em> official. </em>Himari's head dropped back down, eyes fixated on the ground once more. </p><p> </p><p>"Oh," she said quietly, a sense of defeat in her tone. "I'm sorry then, thank you for telling me. I'll let you get back to your friend," Himari said, giving him a minuscule nod while still avoiding eye contact then turned on her heel and headed off, not allowing him to say anything else, though he had nothing else to say anyway. His eyes shot back up to see Hikaru still standing at the table alone, but he was watching Tamaki intently. Tamaki could see Hikaru try to mouth something at him, presumably a question about what just happened, but Tamaki's attention was torn away from the twin when he saw the long awaited pair of redheads emerging through the backdoor. As fast as his feet would carry him in his altered state, he ran back to his original spot at the beer pong table, trying not to appear conspicuous to Reina. <em>I'll tell her about it later, or never. She can't be mad at me for lying, I'm clearly drunk. </em>Ironically, Reina had similar thoughts on her own mind. <em>I really hope he doesn't ask what took so long. I can tell him later, or maybe get too drunk to remember. It's not like it was anything that bad, anyway. Just a little weird, I think</em>, she tried to justify to herself as she made her way over to the blonde, who was currently trying to contain his panting from his dash. Kaoru crossed over to the other side of the table to stand with Hikaru and they gave each other a look, letting the other know that there would be stories to tell once they finally got home. Reina looked up at Tamaki and met his eyes just as he controlled his breathing and turned to her. Somehow, they each had the same thought. <em>I'm yours</em>, they thought simultaneously as the couple grinned at each other. </p><p> </p><p>"I missed you, my princess," Tamaki sang, the adrenaline leaving his system from his former encounter as a new calmness washed over him. Reina reached across the table to grab one of the ping pong balls before taking a small side step towards him, walking right into his extended arm that instinctively wrapped around her. </p><p> </p><p>"And I missed you," she said, batting her eyelashes up at him teasingly before turning to the twins, tossing the ball in the air and then catching it. "Okay! Let's play!"</p><p> </p><p>"You're crazy if you think you're going first after you kept us waiting," Hikaru mentioned, holding up his own ping pong ball. Reina let out a little laugh. </p><p> </p><p>"Then go," she shrugged. Hikaru closed one of his eyes to try and steady his aim, then after a moment, tossed the ball and didn't even make it close. He stared at the ball as it bounced across the table, not even remotely near any of the cups. Once it finally settled in the middle of the table and he caught the other three participants suppressing their laughs, he scoffed a bit. </p><p> </p><p>"Whatever. I'm already feeling the alcohol from earlier, just take your turn already,” Hikaru grumbled, crossing his arms. Their game continued for a while. After she made it into four of their cups compared to the one cup Kaoru had accidentally knocked in theirs, the twins insisted that Reina needed to use her non-dominant hand to throw since she was doing the best out of the four, which slowed down their game quite a bit. By the time they were finished, Reina could feel Tamaki swaying at her side, clearly much more inebriated than he had been before the game started. She looked over at the twins and caught wind of their bloodshot eyes, both from the alcohol and presumably from being tired. </p><p> </p><p>“How much longer do you two have in you?” Reina asked curiously, taking note of the twins each looking over at each other in contemplation, trying to decipher what the other one was thinking. “There’s a guest room across the hall from my room that I haven’t offered to anyone yet. It’s only one bed though,” she mentioned, then glanced up at Tamaki, who at this point was resting his pelvis against the table to help support him, his arm still tightly wrapped around her. “We’re probably going to go upstairs soon, but you’re more than welcome to stay.” </p><p> </p><p>“Ew.” </p><p> </p><p>“Stay in the room across from you two?” </p><p> </p><p>“No thanks, we’d actually like to be able to sleep tonight with no noise nearby,” the twins said in an intertwined response, both of them scrunching their noses. “We’ll probably leave now.” Reina rolled her eyes a bit, but couldn’t exactly promise they wouldn’t hear anything either, so just gave a little nod before looking back up at Tamaki, who was far from the current conversation. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready to go to bed?” She asked him softly. Tamaki perked up almost instantaneously at the question, his eyes twinkling at the mention of finally getting his long awaited one on one time with her, and he responded with a rapid nod. She let out a soft little giggle and leaned up, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I need to go make sure everyone else is settled, will you grab two water bottles and I’ll meet you upstairs?” She asked him, getting another nod from the excited blonde. She pulled herself from his grasp cautiously, really only just noticing how disoriented she was. Reina made her way over to the twins and hugged them at the same time, throwing one arm around each of their necks. “Thanks for coming,” she beamed, pulling back to see their wide grins. “Take one of our cars, and please text me when you’re home safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll be here next time too!” They announced, linking their arms together once Reina took a step back and gave her a nod. She turned to look at Tamaki, who was still swaying in his position. </p><p> </p><p>“Please hold onto the railing when you go up the steps,” Reina said, moving back over and giving him yet another kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry about the waters, I’ll get them. <em>I just want you to be in our bed,</em>” she mumbled the last part in French, and she could hear him take a little breath before nodding. As he turned off to depart, she turned back to the twins in order to give them a final goodbye, but it was clear that some sort of information exchange was happening as Kaoru’s lips were dug into the side of Hikaru’s head, whispering something to him. “Telling secrets, are we?” She mused. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yours,” Hikaru responded coolly as Kaoru pulled himself back, giving Reina a little grin of his own. “So the other guy still has the hots for you?” He asked, carelessly, obviously blissfully unaware or unbothered at the volume his voice had with the question. Reina’s eyes shot wide open and she turned back to Kaoru, who gave a simple shrug in response. </p><p> </p><p>“No, I think he was just a little drunk and disoriented,” Reina offered slowly, getting two cocked eyebrows back at her. “Why does this matter right now? I thought you were tired, just go home already.” </p><p> </p><p>“Feisty,” Hikaru said, unable to hold back his laughter. Kaoru, however, seemed a little less nonchalant about the situation. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to tell the boss about what happened?” Kaoru asked, much quieter than his twin had been. Reina glanced around the backyard, ensuring that nobody involved was even remotely nearby before giving a little shrug, crossing her arms over her chest. </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think it’s necessary to create something out of nothing,” she mentioned, the cocked eyebrows arising once more. “Kaoru, we must have heard two very different conversations if you think that what you heard constitutes a conversation between Tamaki and I.” </p><p> </p><p>“My eavesdropping is actually pretty advanced, thanks,” he argued, and she furrowed both of her eyebrows, leaning against one of her legs. </p><p> </p><p>“And eavesdropping while drunk? How much experience do you have in that realm?” She asked curiously. Kaoru frowned, but didn’t respond. “That’s what I thought. Listen, we all say and do things we don’t entirely mean when we’re drinking. Don’t worry so much about the little things, especially with how much he had to drink.” </p><p> </p><p>“And what if he says something to you while he’s sober? Would you tell Tamaki then?” Hikaru asked with a frown even deeper than Kaoru’s was. </p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” she nodded, very genuine with her words. “Do you two not trust me or something?” The twins each cast a glance at one another, producing a silence for much longer than Reina had been hoping for. “That’s cool, thanks.” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that,” Hikaru sighed. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s just that you kind of have a knack for downplaying things from what it looks like,” Kaoru answered. “I don’t think you would do it intentionally, I just think you sort of push things to the side in hopes that ignoring it will make it get better or go away.” Reina thought back to the beach trip, and how she had just tried to ignore not only Tamaki that night, but also the majority of her feelings. </p><p> </p><p>“I would tell him if something happened aside from tonight. I just don’t think what you heard was really a great judge of Hiroto’s actual character, and I don’t think we should judge him based off of that,” she rationalized. The twins took another peek at each other. “Seriously. Hold me to it. If something else happens, I’ll come to you guys and let you judge the situation.” </p><p> </p><p>“And if we think the boss needs to know, then you’ll tell him?” They quizzed her together. When Reina nodded, they continued to watch her, looking for any details that would lead them to believe she was lying. When nothing set them off, they each gave a nod. “Deal.” </p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to go meet him then?” Kaoru asked, and she gave a short nod. </p><p> </p><p>“Once I go and check on everyone else. Hey, do me a favor and grab a few water bottles before you leave. I don’t want you guys to be hungover in the morning,” she ordered them. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, big sister,” they mused together, arms still linked together. She sent them one more playfully annoyed wave before they departed officially, and she stood in the same spot for just a moment, letting a small sigh out. <em>I’m constantly being babysat,</em> she thought mournfully to herself as she turned around and started to make her own way inside. <em>It constantly feels like one thing after another.</em> She started to make her rounds, ensuring everyone was settled and made sure to mention to everyone the available mattresses in the living room. Many of the party participants that were still there were pretty drunk, and a lot of them had given into her offer and decided they would just stay the night. As she poked her head into the game room, her breath hitched slightly when she saw Hiroto and Emica in there still. Emica was laying on the couch with her head in Hiroto’s lap. His eyes were fixated on the television as a few of the others had jumped into a video game. Emica, however, was staring up at Hiroto with a wide grin. </p><p> </p><p>“Everyone good in here?” She asked gently, making most eyes turn to her. Hiroto jumped out of his gaze to look at her, a beam spreading across his face. Emica sat up just a bit, mirroring the grin Hiroto had. “There’s still a few mattresses in the living room up for grabs if you guys want to stay the night. If not, like I said before, our drivers are fully staffed for whenever you’re ready.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are we getting kicked out? Is the party over?” One girl asked curiously, her head cocked. Reina let out a little giggle as she shook her head. </p><p> </p><p>“No, not at all, stay as long as you want. I’m just headed to bed and wanted to make sure everyone was okay before I left. If you guys want to stay up until morning, you have fun with that.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re headed to <em>bed?</em>” Hiroto asked, face dropping. “How lame of you. Come on, come play a few games with us. Emica can move her legs,” he said, motioning to the seat next to them on the couch that had Emica’s sprawled legs across it. Emica, hesitantly, started to sit up, but Reina vigorously shook her head. </p><p> </p><p>“Emica, you stay comfortable. I’m way too tired to stay up any more,” Reina quickly told her with a giggle. The reassurance seemed to be a weight lifted off of Emica’s shoulders as she settled back into the spot she was in, but Hiroto’s face scrunched up. </p><p> </p><p>“I doubt you’re actually tired. I’m sure your boyfriend - or friend - is tired, and now you feel like you have to go to bed. He can go alone. Come on, hang out with us for a little longer,” he offered, pushing a grin on his face, but he was just met back with a blank stare from Reina.</p><p> </p><p>“You should drink some more water before you go to sleep. You’re going to have a killer hangover,” she said simply before giving everyone else a little nod and miniscule, forced smile. Her eyes turned back to Hiroto, who seemed slightly hurt by being brushed off. “I’m literally exhausted. I’ll stay up longer at the next party, I promise,” she tried, forcing that tiny smile to remain on her face. Hiroto stared back at her before finally giving her a little nod. </p><p> </p><p>“You’d better. I’ll hold you to it,” he teased gently, but Reina couldn’t find the energy to find it entertaining. <em>Please, don’t break her heart. Don’t do this to her,</em> she thought to herself, hoping that he could see that plea in his eyes as she gave one more nod and stepped out of the room. Once she had checked all of the sections of the party and grabbed the water bottles, Reina bounded up the steps to get to Tamaki. <em>I can’t wait to just be able to lay with him and unwind. I started to get dizzy towards the end of that game, it’ll be nice to just sleep with him - fuck. Hopefully he doesn’t want to do anything more, I’m not sure I could do anything more than just lie there, </em>she thought as she gripped onto the railing, having to slow down a bit to make sure she wasn’t going to fall. When she made it up the steps, she noticed that her bathroom door was slightly open with the lights on. <em>Weird. There’s like, four bathrooms downstairs. Someone needed to come up here? God, I hope nobody went into my room. </em>She walked to the door, preparing to turn the lights off and close it but she could hear some sounds coming from inside. Cautiously, she rapped her knuckles against the door. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0059"><h2>59. I'm Yours (59)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Fifty Nine</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t come in,” Tamaki’s voice called out in desperation, shortly followed up by a dry heave. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina pushed the door all the way open before swiftly closing and locking it behind her, then set the water bottles on the counter. He glanced up for only a moment from his position on his knees in front of the toilet, ready to send her out, but turned his head back towards the toilet when another gag involuntarily pushed itself out. Reina moved behind him and with one hand pushed some of his hair back, the other started to rub his back as she crouched down. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>My love, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m okay, please leave</span>
  <em>
    <span>,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mumbled, his voice frail at this point. She continued to rub his back, ignoring his request. Her other hand remained at the top of his head, still holding his hair away from his face. His body jolted in another retch but she never ceased the back rubs. Tamaki took a deep breath and after a few moments, sat up slightly. “I think I’m done,” he told her, but didn’t move from his spot. She slowly stood up, keeping her hands on him for as long as possible before letting them both drop and turning towards the shower. As she made her way over and started to turn it on, he peered over at her, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. “What are you doing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Getting you in the shower. That’s what always makes me feel better,” she responded, sending him a smile with one of her hands underneath the water, trying to perfect his normal temperature. He blinked back at her, his face a bright red. Slowly, he nodded and flushed the toilet before standing up, still pretty wobbly. Once Reina was sure that the water would be to Tamaki’s liking, she made her way back to him and started to undress him. She began by unbuttoning his jeans and pulling them down alongside his boxers, letting him step out of them. Tamaki’s face remained the same bright red shade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do this,” he reminded quietly, though had to place one of his hands on the top of her head to step out of the clothing in order to not fall down. Reina stood back up straight and started to pull his shirt over his head, so he lifted his arms up to help her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she smiled, giving him a little kiss on his cheek then grabbed onto his hand and gently led him over to the shower. “I want to. It’s better if you sit down,” she told him, holding onto his hand tighter as he stepped into the shower. He glanced down at the ground in contemplation, but after realizing he probably wouldn’t be able to stand up straight for much longer, he took her advice and sat down on the bottom of the tub, faced away from the stream of water. Reina crouched down and leaned herself forward, feeling his forehead with the back of her hand. He looked up at her hand, then glanced back at her as she gave him a little smile. “You’re not cold, which is good. You are really red, though. How do you feel? You’re not confused or anything, right?” He shook his head a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel okay,” he mumbled, glancing away as his face grew even brighter. “Just embarrassed,” he admitted. Reina moved her hand from his forehead down to his cheek so she could cup it, her smile still intact. “It’s embarrassing that you saw that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t be embarrassed. You made it to a toilet, that’s super impressive,” she complimented. He peered over at her, clearly not buying it. “Really. You know the first time I threw up while drunk, it was in a girl’s lap,” she told him, a short laugh coming out. Finally, he cracked a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine that,” he admitted to her. She noticed that he was still slurring a bit, but not nearly as much as he had been. “You drank more than I did and you’re fine. I can’t imagine the roles being reversed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, my love. If you actually want to be in my life as long as you say you do, you’ll see it a few times. Really I’m just preparing you for how to handle this situation,” she teased, sending him a little wink before she stood back up and walked to the counter, grabbing onto one of the water bottles and bringing it over to his side. “You have to drink this before we get to my room,” she ordered, flashing him a grin as she crouched back down to be more on level with him. He gave a slow nod, looking down at the full bottle. “Can I wash your hair?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did I get some in my hair?” He asked, a scowl immediately growing on his face as he reached up to start feeling through his hair. She cracked another smile while shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, there’s nothing in your hair. Just being in the shower is nice enough but feeling clean is really my favorite part,” she explained. He thought about it for a moment before looking back up at her, a plea in his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you get in with me?” He asked, which made her nod. “Then yes,” he said, a tiny grin on his face. Reina couldn’t help but laugh as she stood up, shaking her head a bit at him in the middle of undressing. Tamaki leaned back a little further to dunk his head under the water, closing his eyes tightly as he let the water wash over his face before sitting back up into his original position, just as Reina climbed into the shower in front of him. She grabbed all of the items that she needed for washing him before getting down into a kneeling position on her shins. She twirled her finger around, motioning for him to turn around, which he did on her command. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, by the way,” she almost whispered as her hands started to run through his hair, massaging the shampoo into his head. “I shouldn’t have let you drink that much.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was supposed to be here to watch after you,” he reminded her. Reina raised an eyebrow, though he couldn’t see it since he was now faced away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, no, you were supposed to come to have fun. You don’t need to watch over me,” she said slowly, but decided to tuck that conversation away for later. “Either way, it was irresponsible of me to let you continue to drink when I knew you had never drank that much - you can rinse,” she interrupted gently, reaching around him to wash off her soapy hands then moving both of them to his back and began to rub it again. Tamaki dunked his head under the water to let it soak for a few moments before finally reaching up to scrub the remainder away. Once he was sure it was all out, he sat back up and Reina began on the conditioner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’m serious. I’m supposed to look after you,” Tamaki said, his voice now growing somber. “You shouldn’t be looking after me.” Reina slowed down her process on his hair, just taking in his words as she sucked the inside of her cheek. “I want you to rely on me.” Reina gave the top of his head a little tap just before rinsing her hands off, giving him the cue to rinse which he quickly picked up on. Once he sat back up once more, Reina wrapped both of her arms around him from behind and laid her cheek against the middle of his back, taking him by surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do rely on you,” she responded genuinely. “But I want you to know you can rely on me, as well. There’s nothing wrong with us looking out for each other. There will be some days that you need more help, and some days where I need more help,” she said, not able to see as Tamaki’s eyes filled up with tears. “In fact, that’s how it should be. Emotional burdens shouldn’t be put on solely one person, it’s not healthy. So let me take care of you from time to time,” she continued, nuzzling her head into his back as he clasped his hands on top of hers. “Deal?” He took a moment to compose himself but slowly nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deal,” he practically whispered, both of his thumbs stroking the back of her hands. He could feel his heart racing rapidly as he thought about the new perspective. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Protecting each other. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready to get out?” She asked, but his hands gripped tighter onto hers, an obvious ‘no’. “Do you still feel sick?” She questioned, tightening her arms around him only slightly, trying to comfort him without pushing on his stomach too hard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m okay,” he admitted, gently pulling himself from her grip to change positions. He pulled himself under the stream of water completely, though only for a moment before he laid himself down with his head landing right onto her thighs. “I just want to stay a little longer. Reina, will you sing to me?” He almost begged, his gaze up at her shifting into his convincing puppy dog eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows down at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want me to sing, exactly?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything,” he breathed out, closing his eyes as he rested one arm against his stomach and brought his other hand to meet hers, grabbing hold of it. “Are there any songs you normally sing in the shower?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but they’re in English,” she explained, eyebrows still furrowed, but she squeezed his hand nonetheless. “And wouldn’t you find it weird for me to just sing to you?” She asked. He opened his eyes to look back up at her, a soft smile spread across his lips as he shook his head. She blinked down at him before letting out a tiny sigh and shrugging. His small smile turned to a large grin as he shut his eyes once more, settling into his spot. Reina took a moment to think of a song, and almost laughed at the one that came to her mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sure it’s because of the conversation, but still. How ironic. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She took her free hand and began to run it through Tamaki’s hair as she started to sing for him, very softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What song is this?” He interrupted after a few moments, unable to keep his curiosity away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone To Watch Over Me,” she mused, cracking a smile when she saw his eyes snap open, obviously also taking note of the correlation. “It was a song in an old musical, but Ella Fitzgerald covered it in the fifties. I prefer that version,” Reina explained. Tamaki watched her for another moment, then squeezed her hand tighter as he shut his eyes once more, a wide grin on his face again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful. Please, keep going,” he requested, and she hesitantly obliged. Reina continued to play with his hair and Tamaki ignored as the water slowly lost it’s warmth, still perfectly comfortable in her lap. He understood much less of the words than he might have if he had been sober, but he was able to pick up on a few key words like ‘handsome’ and ‘heart’, which easily made his own heart flutter. When she finished the song, she kept playing with his hair, squeezing different strands between her fingers to casually wring out the excess water. “You’re an angel,” he let out alongside a content sigh. Reina responded with a little ‘mm’, still fixated on her task of attempting to dry his hair. “I don’t think you know what I mean.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how many ways there are to translate that,” she teased, running her fingers across his forehead for a short moment before moving them back to his golden locks. Tamaki moved the arm that had been lying across his stomach and moved it up to caress the side of her thigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re angelic,” he began, letting his wet fingers graze across her mostly dry skin. “But that’s not what I mean. You were let down from heaven and have become the angel of my life. You’re my angel, Reina Belle,” he enthused, shifting his body only slightly to try and escape the water stream that was growing colder the longer they stayed in the shower. Reina’s eyes widened and her hand stopped in its track, still holding small strands of hair in between fingers. A gust of warmth spread through her body, and it only heightened when she saw him in a closed-eyed beam. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know about all that angel stuff, but you’re right about one thing - I’m yours,” she told him. His eyes shot open and his face didn’t even remotely match how nervous her own looked, his beam only growing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m yours,” he repeated, feeling as his heart fluttered at the sight of her expression softening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m yours,” she echoed once more, a new smile appearing. “Come on, let’s go to bed. But you still need to drink that water first,” she reminded him, nodding over to the bottle. Tamaki slowly rolled off of her lap and completely out of the water, which at this point had turned icy. Reina avoided the stream as she stood up and turned the water off, then stepped out of the sliding door. The only part of her that was even remotely wet was her legs, but she wrapped a towel around herself nonetheless, really just to avoid getting dressed again for such a short walk to her room. Reina grabbed another towel from the closet for Tamaki before turning to look at him. He was still sitting on the bottom of the tub, nursing the water with a small grimace on his face at the feeling of more liquid going into his body. Reina held onto the towel patiently, just watching him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hiroto said he thought he could have loved me, which is a weird way to phrase something, unless we totally just felt different things. That may just have to do with the fact that I don’t think that he and I are meant to be. I know without any inkling of a doubt that I could love Tamaki, I guess my only question right now is if I already do. Because I feel like I do, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, catching his gaze as she leaned against the wall. He sent her a little grin that she could only barely see with his mouth pressed against the water bottle opening, before he turned back to the task and tried to drink even more aggressively in order to get to bed with her faster. She watched him for another moment before a soft smile landed on her lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I do. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but I think I do. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you sell food here?” Reina asked quietly, both of her slightly shaky hands clutching a water bottle tightly. Dai took one glance at her and let out a loud laugh, which immediately made Reina’s eyes snap shut in a wince. “Whisper your response, or I’ll kill you,” she slowly said through clenched teeth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First hangover, pretty girl?” He asked, disregarding her ‘request’ for a low voice. Reina’s eyes remained closed as she gave a slow head shake, trying hard not to irritate her headache any further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not my first, nor will it probably be my last. I just disregarded water last night, I guess,” she muttered, gripping onto the almost finished water bottle in her hands. She thought back to the night previous. After Tamaki had finished his first bottle of water in the bathroom, Reina had brought the extra into her room and forced him to drink that one as well. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If it saved him from having to deal with this, then it will have been worth it. I won’t know that until he wakes up, though,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, hoping that she could get back to the estate before he could awake from his deep slumber. “I just need two of my drinks and two of whatever the greasiest menu item is.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good and bad news. Good news, we serve food after 8, so you’re in luck,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows just as Reina had braved herself to open her own eyes once more. “Bad news, you’re not going to want a coffee. You need something with electrolytes, like a sports drink or something. We don’t sell anything like that, but I keep a few stocked in the back for my shifts, I can grab you two,” he offered, but Reina shook her head slowly once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine, I can run somewhere else, I’m not taking your drinks. Just the food,” she said. He shot her a look before glancing over to one of the other baristas that was currently just waiting on something to do, considering Reina was the only one in the shop that hadn’t gotten her items yet. He motioned for the barista to come take his place on the register before looking back over at Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come with me,” he said, moving away from the register and towards the back room. Reina watched after him cautiously, trying to decide if she could trust him. After deciding she could still put up a fight in her state, she slowly followed after him. She slipped behind the counter and moved into the back room with him, glancing around. It was a pretty small room considering all of the items contained inside. There was another man who was back there that had been on his phone in front of a grill, but swiftly shoved the phone back into his pocket upon Dai’s arrival. Dai ignored the fact that he had seen the phone for a split second as he moved further into the back room. “Can you make me two breakfast sandwiches with the works?” Dai called back to the man in front of the grill, who gave a quick nod as he started to pull out the necessary items. Reina glanced around as she followed. There were at least three fridges that she could see just here, and they were massive. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess it makes sense, in order to store all of the ingredients and milk and stuff. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She took note of the lines of shelves filled with items such as disposable cups and straws, syrup bottles, and even cleaning supplies. She noticed how everything was sort of a chaotically organized mess; Everything had a place, and it was in its place - but maybe just not in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> place.  “Here, you can sit,” he said, pointing over to a metal folding chair that was placed in front of a makeshift desk. Reina obliged, deciding not to argue. “It’s quieter back here,” he said, finally giving her a little smile as he headed over to one of the fridges, pulling out two sports drinks and walking them back over to her. “I have more than enough, take them,” he insisted. Reina stared at the drinks in his hands before finally taking them both with a tiny nod. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Still sealed. I should be okay, </span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, relaxing a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she finally said, still glancing around. “Is your manager going to be upset if I’m back here?” She asked curiously. Dai let a chuckle out as he furrowed his eyebrows again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. Hey buddy, you think the boss will be upset?” Dai asked, turning to the cook, who once again had his phone out. “Put it away,” he said instantly. The man jumped a bit before shoving it in his pocket once more, giving a nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, the other hand holding tightly onto the spatula that he was cooking with. The man mumbled a little ‘sorry’ before turning back to the food in front of him. Dai let out a huff before turning to Reina, who still didn’t seem to understand. “I own the place, you’re okay,” he finally assured. Reina furrowed her own eyebrows, her eyes squinting slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know that,” she admitted, and he gave a little shrug. “Well, my respect to you, then. It’s cool to see the owner working at their establishment,” she smiled softly. He let out another laugh, but not nearly as loud as he had the first time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I have much of a choice. I could never afford to pay someone to do the work that I do here,” he mused, shrugging again at her confused expression. “It wouldn’t even be legal to schedule someone as much as I’m here. Trust me, dire times call for dire measures - I’ve tried. But I’m here at least six days a week, at least ten hours a day, but normally more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should take a break, it’ll kill you,” Reina said with a small frown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So will starvation and bankruptcy,” he mentioned with another laugh, a little smile on his face. “The first few years are the hardest. I’m lucky to even be bringing home a salary in the first place, most business owners don’t turn a profit for a while. We’re doing good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, let me tell you - this is my favorite coffee shop. I even lived in Italy and Holland - home to some amazing coffee shops - and I still like this place the best,” she told him, sending him a small grin with as much positivity as her hangover would allow her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure we would get more business if we could take on Holland’s approach,” Dai teased. He turned his head at the sound of an employee calling for some assistance, so he turned to Reina and gave her a smile. “I appreciate that, though. He should be done with those sandwiches soon, I’ll see you before you leave,” he said with a little nod before turning on his heel and dashing out of the room to go and help out his baristas. Reina looked down at the sports drinks in her hands and frowned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s worried about starvation and bankruptcy, yet he gives me free stuff. That’s so kind. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina glanced up as two bagged sandwiches were set on the desk next to her with a little smile by the cook. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said softly, giving him a little nod. After gathering her items and completing a quick task, she made her way back up to the register. Dai had moved onto bar to help assist in a particularly complicated order, so another barista swiftly rang her out for the sandwiches. “See you next time, Dai,” she said as loud as she could without making her own head ring. He sent her a quick wave and a grin just as she was walking out the doors. It would be another hour before Dai noticed the moderate sized wad of cash lying on his desk in the back room. The driver didn't take long to get Reina back to the Higurashi estate. When she got into her room, she saw Tamaki was still dozed off. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lucky bastard. As soon as the headache started, my sleep was done,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she sighed quietly, wishing more than anything she could crawl into his arms and slip into sleep for a few more hours. Reina moved with caution through the room, setting down all of the items on her vanity and taking a seat, trying to be as silent as possible. She ripped open the sports drink and started to nurse it as she pushed her laptop open, deciding the sandwich bag would be far too loud to work on for the time being. As usual on the weekends, there was an email from Connor that she slipped into first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To: Reina Thompson</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From: Connor Duffy</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Subject: Are you still alive? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey sweet girl. I wanted to check in and make sure you weren’t dead. I’m sure you probably ignored my request about having no alcohol at your party since you never seem to listen to good advice. How are you feeling, kiddo? Did everything go well? Did you have fun? I’m sure you’re having less fun today. Let me know. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We still need to plan your trip out here, as long as you still want to come. We can find a date that works for you and Tamaki if he was still planning on joining. You can tell me if you don’t, I won’t be upset. :) I can come out and visit you anytime you want me to, sweet girl, just let me know what you want. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe you can call me and we can discuss how your party and your weekend went, depending on how you’re feeling. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Love you, we’ll talk soon. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina had to suppress a laugh at the subject line of the email, both to save herself from any more head soreness but also to keep the silence in the room. She clicked the reply button as she set the drink down against the surface of the vanity, very slowly and quietly beginning to type out her response, careful not to press on the keys too heavily or fast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To: Connor Duffy</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From: Reina Thompson</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Subject: Re:Are you still alive?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t die last night, but I do in fact feel dead today. No vomiting, but I’ll knock on wood in case it just hasn’t hit me yet. It was fun, it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves. I don’t think there even was any typical teenage drama which was a nice surprise. Normally when alcohol gets involved, you see at least one fight - verbal or otherwise - and a few crying girls. I didn’t see any of that last night, but maybe I just wasn’t looking. Or maybe I’m just surrounded by better people than I have been in the past. I can call you later and tell you more, but I’m more than sure my head would explode if I had a phone to my ear right now. It might have to be tomorrow, I’ll either call you later tonight or call you at a suitable time tomorrow once I’m off of school. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m thinking that it might be best to wait until the break to come and visit. You invited Tamaki and I’m not sure how well he would do with the jetlag on top of having to return to school presumably the day after flying back in. Not to blame it all on him, that doesn’t sound incredibly fun to me either haha. I’ll double check and make sure I know which dates exactly the break land under and get back to you with that so we can secure the flights. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Love you too, talk to you tonight or tomorrow. Pray for me and my headache. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina glanced back when she saw Tamaki stirring slightly in the bed, but he settled once more and she assumed he was asleep again, so she turned back to her laptop and clicked back to her inbox. There was a few miscellaneous emails, including one from Yuzuha presumably asking for some advice as she had been doing recently, so Reina made a note to respond to it later. She had to hold back an involuntary gasp that threatened to fall out when she saw one of the other unread emails. Clicking on it, it soon made sense, and her shoulders slumped just a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To: Reina Thompson</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From: Kimi Yoshida-Thompson</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Subject: (No Subject)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hello. I wanted to give you a quick update in case you were interested. Construction has begun on a few locations in Holland. We’ve started with just two in the Amsterdam area and another in Breda for two very different demographics. They should be fully finished by the end of the fiscal year, so long as we’re lucky. I’ve attached an article that has been posted about the plans by a Dutch news group. If you’ve continued to keep up on your language skills, which you should be, then you should be able to read it. Your allowance should have been dropped into your account for the week already, let me know if you need any more. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina stared back at the screen, a frown on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course she didn’t want to talk to me or anything. Just stupid business and money shit. I don’t care where you’re putting in more locations,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought, unable to contain her bitterness as she bit hard down onto her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I will admit, kinda weird that they’re following their locations with my previous living countries. I guess they will have some use for me eventually, I just don’t know what exactly that is.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She studied the words again, shaking her head just a little bit at the stark contrast between Kimi and Connor’s emails. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You can clearly see who the cold parent is. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She could hear the sound of something shuffling behind her, but couldn’t bring herself out of her thoughts to turn around to look at it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I’ve “kept up on my language skills”? What the hell does that even mean? I can definitely still read it, but why the hell would I? I definitely have to call dad - Connor --- </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>dad</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> tonight, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, damning herself again for the subconscious correction back to Connor as she started to type out her response. This time, the thought of keeping her typing quiet hadn’t even crossed her mind. She tried hard to leave out all of her passive aggressive responses that had been building up with every moment that passed, but after neglecting all of those, the email being returned back to Kimi was one of the barest she had ever sent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To: Kimi Yoshida-Thompson</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From: Reina Thompson</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Subject: Re:(No Subject)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Congrats! Hopefully it builds quick enough for your liking. I’m good on money, thanks though. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina contemplated adding more to it, but shook that idea away as another wave of frustration flew over her when she glanced up at Kimi’s original email, and sent it without a third thought. The same shuffling sound came from behind her, but this time a little more vigorous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s my angel at?” Tamaki’s tired voice called out. Reina finally turned around in her seat to see his arm running across her empty side of the bed, eyes still shut. Finally, his eyes fluttered open and he glanced up to see Reina who currently looked pale and miserable. “Are you okay?” He asked instantaneously, sitting up from his spot as quick as his body would allow him. It was clear he hadn’t been affected by a hangover, which Reina gave a tiny smile at. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she nodded, though the nod was still a little slow in order to keep her pain from pushing back full force. “Just a little headache. How do you feel?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel fine,” he said, swinging his legs out of the bed and making his way over to her, a grin on his face now that he was no longer worried. “So like you said last night, we’ll look out for each other, and it’s my turn to take care of you,” he told her, holding his hand out for her. Reina looked up at him as she thought about last night, more specifically what had happened once they got back to her room. She had offered him some of the usual pajama options, but he had simply ripped the towel off from his waist and collided into the bed, opting to sleep nude for the night. He either hadn’t noticed that he was completely naked in front of her, or he didn’t care, but Reina didn’t mind either way. “I’ll nurse you back to full health, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mused, the grin still wide across his face. She took one last glance back at her laptop before shutting it and took his hand, practically being lifted by him the moment their hands touched, which actually got a little giggle out of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I shouldn’t worry about people who don’t want to be in my life, no matter who they are. I have people who do want to be here, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself as he cautiously walked her over to the bed with the drink she had initially been sipping on. He sat her down and beckoned her to drink it, much like how she had done last night to him with the second bottle of water. She glanced up at him through her sip, catching his adoring gaze back down at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m yours, Tamaki Suoh. I think that’s all I’ll ever need. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“What can I do to help you?” He asked, then glanced over to the food items on the desk, nose scrunching. “You went out? You should have woken me up, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I would have gone for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay,” Reina said quietly as he moved over to retrieve the items. It seemed like he had finally noticed the lack of clothing just as he was about to scoop them up, so before doing anything else, he rushed over towards her closet to find something to wear. Reina giggled just a tiny bit more, and he peeked behind his shoulder at her, his face a soft pink. “I’ve been up for a little while.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could have gotten us something better,” he tried as he pulled some sweatpants on, skipping both boxers and a shirt. He made his way back over to the vanity and grabbed the items, then took a little peek down at the bags in his hands. Slowly, his face scrunched up. “Especially if I knew you were going to go </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he added, glancing up at Reina, who was still nursing the sports drink. “What’s so special about this place? I could get you some of the finest breakfasts in Tokyo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just like it,” she mumbled from behind the opening of the bottle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could go right now to get you something else,” he offered, but as Reina gave him a little head shake, his nose scrunched even more. Still, he made his way over and took a seat on the bed next to Reina. She sat the drink down on the nightstand then turned back to him, forcing a cheesy grin on her face. “Do we have to clean up much today?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, they must have come in early this morning. Everything’s pretty much cleaned up - I feel bad, I would have at least done something,” she sighed as she took one of the bags from his hand. “So I think I’m clear.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re clear,” he corrected as he pulled the sandwich from his own bag. “And really, I think that means I’m clear. I wouldn’t have let you clean in your condition,” Tamaki added with a wink in her direction. An eye roll was shot back at him before she began to eat, but he continued to watch her for another moment. “Do you want to take a shower when you’re done eating? I can give you the five star experience you gave me,” he offered, Reina furrowed her eyebrows and covered her mouth with one of her hands as she continued to chew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sort of surprised that you remembered that so quickly in the morning,” she commented once her mouth was free of any food. Tamaki’s eyes twinkled as he scooched just a smidge closer to her on the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember everything with you,” he responded, eyes still twinkling. Reina cracked a smile, then gave him a little nudge to his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re cute. You should eat.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will. Do you want me to take you for a shower?” He asked again. Reina took another bite of the sandwich as she gave a little shrug, making his face drop. “But I want to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do I smell?” She asked with a small laugh, turning his expression from disappointed to mortified. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” He shouted, which made her eyes snap shut and a little wince fall from her mouth. “Sorry sorry sorry,” he whispered, much lower than anything else he had said during the morning. “But what about what you said last night?” He asked, still in a whisper. Reina peeked her eyes open again, but then furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “We’ll take care of each other. You took care of me last night, so it’s my turn,” he frowned, setting aside his untouched breakfast. Reina blinked back at him, a hint of color coming onto her cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about a bath?” She offered out. Tamaki’s frown disappeared as he perked up, eyes twinkling once more. “Will you take one with me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he nodded rapidly, then jumped up from his place on the bed. “You stay and eat - and finish that drink - and I’ll set it up for us,” he beamed, hands planted firm against his hips before he dashed out of the room, leaving her no time to respond. Reina stared back at the door for a moment, with a small smile on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think you’re all I’ll ever need,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Upon getting into the bathroom, he scoured every part of it for anything and everything he could use to make it perfect for her. He rushed down the stairs to retrieve the flowers he had gotten for her the night previous. Since they had been sat down and forgotten about, the petals had already started to wilt, so he figured it would be the perfect way to put them to use. Just like Reina had said, clean up was practically finished and no students were left in the living room area - though their mattresses remained for the time being. </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least there’s nobody here to distract us from each other on this fine Sunday,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought with just a smidge of smugness. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Those other guys could talk to her last night, but I have her for all of today. And likely every other weekend, too.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tamaki made his way up the steps rapidly and back into the bathroom, ready to prepare. By the time he had finished with the task and made it back to Reina’s room, she had finished the rest of the drink and about half of the sandwich. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to eat the rest of that before we go?” He asked gently, and she gave another little head shake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be sick if I do,” she sighed, then stood up from the bed. She wasn’t standing on her own for very long, as Tamaki rushed over to scoop her up. “I’m hungover, not dying.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter your condition,” he shot back with a charming grin, pausing to allow her time to wrap her arms around his neck - which she did. “I’ll always be here to carry you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what happens when we get super old?” She asked teasingly as he began to walk. Tamaki shot her a grin, his eyes widened with excitement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you plan to spend your old years with me?” He asked, nothing but hope - and a hint of triumph - hidden within those irises. Reina rested her head against his collarbone as he reached the bathroom door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, hypothetically. Like what if you and I end up in the same retirement home and I need help getting around?” She joked. Tamaki’s eyes softened as he pushed the bathroom door open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that would never happen,” he responded confidently. “Our children would never put us in a retirement home. I can you all around our home, though, for as long as my bones will allow me.” Reina smiled gently at him then glanced up when the smell of roses assaulted her nose. Not only had he sprinkled rose petals on the top of the water, but it was clear that he had also found the rose bath salts, and she could only assume that she had another floral scented bubble bath mixture hidden away that he had added in. The lights were dimmed to the best of his abilities - although the bathroom didn’t have dimmer switches, he had only turned on half of the lights, which practically gave it the same effect. Tamaki set her back down on her feet and let his lips collide into her temple. “I’m going to go get you clothes. Do you have a preference?” He asked her quietly, his lips still lingering in her hair. Reina gave a very small head shake, and although she couldn’t see it, he grinned at the idea of being able to dress her up. “Go get comfortable, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ll be right back!” He excitedly sang directly before scurrying out of the bathroom. Reina moved over to the counter and started to tie her hair up in a high ponytail in hopes of keeping the majority of it dry. As her eyes drew back to the bathtub as she started to undress, her smile couldn’t be contained at the sweet gesture. By the time Tamaki made it back to the bathroom with his outfit that he had picked for her, she was in the tub and had her head rested against the back of it, eyes shut. Tamaki set the clothes down on the counter and slipped out of his sweatpants silently, laying them next to her new clothes. The only indication that Reina had to know that he was there was the feeling of the water rumbling as he climbed in. She waited until he seemed settled on the opposite side as her before she lifted her head back up to look at him. A grin sent in her direction gave her the mental willpower to switch positions. Reina reached out for his hands, and as soon as he grasped onto hers, she used the hold on him to pull herself into his arms, her head falling perfectly in the crook of his neck as the rest of her body gently cascaded on top of his. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she mumbled before he had a chance to question her decision. Tamaki blinked as he glanced down at the new position, but still, he removed his hands from her own to move them below the surface of the water and they landed directly on each of her hips. “You’re sweet, and I appreciate all of the kind things you do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would do anything for you,” he responded just as quietly as she had said her initial declaration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she whispered, just as both of her arms hooked underneath his armpits and her hands landed against the top of his shoulders. “But you don’t have to, so thank you.” Tamaki laid his head against hers and slowly used his thumbs to massage at her hips. “My headache has already started to go away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that because of the bath?” He asked in the middle of a gasp, both shocked and glad that his plan had worked so quickly. She giggled very gently against his skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, part of it,” she fabricated, digging her nose even closer into his neck to try and escape the undeniably strong aroma. “But also some pills.” Tamaki’s thumbs stopped moving as he felt his heart drop down to the pit of his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pills?” His small voice blurted out, hardly even at a whisper. “Like what kind?” He asked, eyes darting up towards the bathroom counter, though nothing across the surface gave him any clues. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She was awake earlier than me today, I left her alone in the room while I was setting this up, and then I left her alone again when I was grabbing her clothes. She had a ton of opportunities to grab something from her secret stash, wherever that may be.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like, Advil,” she responded hesitantly, followed up by a short shrug. “It might have been Tynenol. Or ibuprofen - well, I think Advil and ibuprofen are the same thing,” she added with a tiny laugh. “One of them.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just that?” He asked, taking a peek down at Reina. Though it was a strain to see her face, he was able to catch a glimpse. With her nose buried deep in his neck and eyes shut, she almost looked like she could be asleep, but the very minor smile on her face kept her looking awake enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. There’s not really much else you can take for a hangover. You just gotta hydrate and hope it doesn’t stick around all day,” she shrugged. “It was pretty bad when I was out today. But it’s gotten better since you woke up.” Tamaki slowly nodded, his mind reeling with everything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should ask about the pills. About what Chloe told me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you that you should have let me go out for you,” he added, trying to think about the best way to approach the subject. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well Dai gave me some of his sports drinks from the backroom instead of selling me coffee since he said those would be better, so I wouldn’t have gotten those had I not gone myself,” she argued, though regretted those words as soon as she left him stiffen. Any thoughts of the previous conversation vanished as a string of jealousy washed over Tamaki. “Plus, if I had waited for you to wake up, then I might still be waiting for you to get back right now instead of being here with you,” she swiftly added, tightening her arms around him just a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They sell those drinks at any store. I could have gotten them for you in less than three minutes,” he scoffed, though his thumbs started to churn against her hips once more, as if reminding himself that where they currently were definitely was the best place to be. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can still always send Kyoya’s police force after that creep. Maybe that’s what I need to do. As long as Reina doesn’t find out, then she can’t be mad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Next time,” he promised solemnly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, okay. Next time,” she agreed, mostly to end that portion of the conversation. Just as Tamaki’s mind slowly moved away from the jealousy and the idea of exposing the coffee shop owner for the pervert that he was to Reina back to the conversations with Chloe, Reina spoke again. “My mom emailed me.” Tamaki paused again, but this time, he relaxed into her by subtly tugging her body closer to his. “Nothing important. They’re opening a few hotels in Holland.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s exciting,” Tamaki said quietly. The only response Reina gave was a short ‘mm’, followed by a few seconds of silence. “Did she say anything else?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Reina sighed quietly, moving herself closer to him. One of his hands left the spots they had resigned themselves to on her hips so that he could start to give her back scratches along her spine. “But that’s okay. I don’t mind - not really. It’s just, you know. Good to know they actually are tracking my moves somehow. Like maybe this all has been for something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So do you think they’ll open some locations in Japan?” He asked, receiving a tiny nod in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can only assume so. It’s the only thing that makes sense,” she added, though she seemed less than interested in that aspect of it. After another moment of silence, she sighed again and moved her head just enough to look up at him. “Thank you, again. For being so nice to me. I appreciate it,” she said, sending him a small smile. Tamaki’s hands against her quit their movements as he studied her for a short moment before he leaned down and planted a kiss against her forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0060"><h2>60. (Handsome, Princely) Big Brother (60)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Sixty </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina bolted down the hallway, as quick as her feet could take her. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and her stomach was completely knotted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What could be wrong? Why did he need me? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered just as she made it to the music room 3's doors and threw one open. All heads turned to her with varying expressions. Tamaki grinned with such a level of enthusiasm that it was hard for her to fathom - considering the circumstances that had been playing through her head. Honey shared a similar vibe to Tamaki, though not nearly as excited as the taller blonde was. The twin's seemed deeply shocked to see her, and Mori had a much milder look of surprise in his expression. Haruhi and Kyoya actually looked a bit relieved to see Reina, which only confused her even further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's wrong?" Reina asked, still stuck in the doorway. She saw a few furrowed eyebrows in turn at her question. Slowly, she pulled her phone out to read the text message she had received. "In all caps, '</span>
  <em>
    <span>SOS SOS GET TO THE HOST CLUB ROOM NOW' </span>
  </em>
  <span>from Tamaki," she explained, glancing back up from her phone. Any sign of confusion had vanished with her words and almost all eyes landed on Tamaki, who was still beaming brightly, hands planted firmly against his hips. Kyoya turned to Reina, a sigh threatening to fall from his lips, but he was able to contain it well enough. Though, he still didn’t look very amused now that his initial breath of relief had vanished. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to make the assumption that Tamaki thinks you're good with kids," he said simply. Reina gave a minuscule shrug, preparing to answer but before she could, everyone in the room stepped aside to reveal a tiny child staring back at Reina. She stood stunned, staring back at the child before cracking a little smile, eyebrows subconsciously furrowing in the process. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, hello!" Reina said, still trying to wrap her mind around the situation happening around her. She finally moved away from the doorway and towards the little girl, casting short glances to the hosts in hopes that someone would explain to her what was going on, though received nothing back. She crouched down in front of the girl, giving her another little grin. "I'm Reina, and what's your name?" She asked, holding one of her hands out for a hand shake. The girl looked down at Reina's hand before finally taking it, then looking right back up into Reina's eyes, clearly studying her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Kirimi," she said quietly, which Reina assumed had to have been because of shyness. In reality, Kirimi had just been trying to figure out something. Reina gave the girl a small handshake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing here, Kirimi? Are you lost?" Reina's tender voice asked, making Tamaki visibly swoon at the sight of it. Kirimi shook her head only slightly, still staring right into Reina's eyes. Reina peered up at the club, once again searching for an explanation. Abruptly, Kirimi snapped her fingers with her hand then used it to point right at Reina, the end of her finger nearly touching the tip of Reina's nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Broken bird!" Kirimi called out, proud of herself for finally detecting Reina's trope type. Reina's eyes crossed to look at the tiny finger in front of her face, just blinking back at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry… What was that?" Reina asked softly, letting out an uncomfortable laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Broken bird! You're the damaged one!" Kirimi repeated, a grin on her face. The twins started to snicker from above but Reina ignored it as she stared at the girl with furrowed eyebrows, the smile from her former laugh sort of just stuck in place. "Your eyes are sad, that must be it! You had something traumatic happen, or maybe family issues! You're a broken bird because it holds you back!" Reina sat stunned alongside everyone else - aside from the twins who were still laughing. She finally looked back up at Kyoya, her face blank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So is she yours?" Reina asked, only a slight dig at Kyoya and his natural sleuthing abilities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Bookworm isn't all that bad anymore," Haruhi mumbled to herself, staring down at Kirimi who was clearly still thrilled that she had figured it out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Big brother, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to tell her that she’s the broken bird!” Kirimi called out, rushing over to Tamaki’s legs and tugging on his pant leg slightly towards Reina. “And now it’s not really a reverse harem anymore since there are two girls here! Right, big brother? Is she the love interest, too? Tell her, big brother!” Tamaki’s face flew straight to a red color as he started to stutter out some sort of response. He didn’t want to let the child down, but he also would find no amusement in telling Reina that she was the ‘broken’ one, whether or not it was true. He couldn’t even begin to touch on the ‘love interest’ accusation without his brain frying completely at the idea that the little girl had caught onto that so quickly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But of course she’s the love interest, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki boasted to himself, his outward expression showing none of the confidence that his inner thoughts did. Reina was still crouched down and she turned to Tamaki, eyes wide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, she’s your sister?” Reina asked, interrupting his stuttering rambles, her jaw dropping just a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Kaoru said with a little eye roll. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one with secret family members dropping into our lives,” Hikaru pointed out, getting a glare sent back at him from Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But she is looking for her brother,” Kaoru explained, scratching the back of his neck, a little frown on his face. “Although, we have no clue who her brother even is.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kirimi,” an eerie voice sang, chills going up almost everyone’s spines. Kirimi whimpered softly, letting go of Tamaki’s pant leg and rushing over to Reina who was already level with her. Kirimi flung herself into Reina’s arms as Reina turned to find the mysterious voice, wrapping her arms around the small girl and standing up with her. Kirimi was shaking in Reina’s arms as she turned to Tamaki, eyes full of fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Protect us, big brother,” she pleaded, just as the voice called out her name again, making her visibly shudder and move closer into Reina, another gentle whimper coming out. Tamaki tried to remain stoic and serious for Kirimi’s sake, but despite the creepy atmosphere, he couldn’t help but dote on the sight in front of him. Reina was holding Kirimi on her hip with one arm, and her free hand was brushing through the girl’s hair in attempts to calm her down more. Reina cast a glance over at Tamaki, which shot him back to reality and he moved in front of the pair of girls, obliging to Kirimi’s request to keep them safe. Reina peeked around Tamaki to see the blonde man who was standing similar to how she was, peeking out from behind a door. Reina took notice on how she had never seen him before. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s a pretty handsome guy, I think I would have noticed him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where the hell did that creepy door come from?” Hikaru asked, narrowing his eyes at the newcomer and the randomly placed, ominous looking door in front of them. The man took a step out, and as if out of thin air, two servants dressed in dark attire appeared and began to cover the man in a dark cloak to shield him from the light above. Once the cloak was on, his identity was revealed, and a few jaws dropped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nekozawa?” A few voices echoed. Reina furrowed her eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> seen that kid,” she whispered to herself, reminded of the time during her first week when she had seen him in the hall and almost jumped out of her skin. “Wait, that’s what he looks like under the cloak? He’s actually good looking,” Reina noted innocently. Tamaki’s head shot around to look at her, a pout on his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not better looking than I am. Right, Reina?” He asked, hopeful. She peeked over at him, an eyebrow raised. “Right?” He persisted, eyes drooping at the amount of time taking her to respond. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re ridiculous,” she mused, rolling her eyes playfully as she continued to softly sway Kirimi, who still wasn’t exactly comfortable with Nekozowa’s appearance into the room. Tamaki’s face dropped even more. Although clearly Reina thought Tamaki was the more handsome one - by far - he had hoped for some reassurance, and had found none of that in her words. During Reina and Tamaki’s miniature conversation, Kuretake and Kadomatsue had described to the other host club members about the situation at hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so you’re telling me that Nekozowa is this girl’s brother?” Haruhi asked, stunned. Kuretake gave a weeping nod, wiping her single tear away with a handkerchief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it’s such an unfortunate tale,” she wailed, another lone tear whipping down towards the prepared handkerchiekf. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kirimi,” Nekozowa started, holding up his puppet as he slowly made his way over to the trio. Kirimi continued to shake in Reina’s arms, only slightly peeking at the covered man drawing closer in. “I have someone I want to introduce you to, this is Beelzenef,” he continued, leaning his arm across the blonde who was currently doing a shit job of playing guard, sticking the cat right in front of Kirimi’s face. Kirimi’s bottom lip pushed out as a little cry erupted. She dug her face into Reina’s shirt, shaking her head rapidly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get away, get away!” She screamed, clinging onto Reina even tighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Nekozowa family has worshiped cats for centuries,” he added, trying to charm her into looking back at him and Beelzenef, but to no avail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think the line might end with her on that one,” Reina mumbled, continuing to sway Kirimi and petting her pigtails in attempts to calm her down, which seemed to only be halfway working. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and besides that, I don’t think it’s just the doll she’s afraid of,” Haruhi added, getting an agreeing nod from Kyoya. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It must be your clothes!” The twins said together, rushing over to tear Nekozowa’s cloak off, which he vigorously fought against. “Hey, we’re trying to help you, let us take it off!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It must be the clothes,” Tamaki agreed, his pout deep set into his face. “Because he’s apparently very handsome without them,” he continued, his voice full of dejection. Of course, nobody heard him over the commotion of Honey rushing to close the curtains, and Kirimi’s scream in reaction to it. Reina was hugging Kirimi into her chest at this point, whispering nice things down to her and bouncing her a bit to try and get her calmer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alas, Kirimi is afraid of the dark, whereas the young master cannot go into the light. They’ve been dubbed as the Romeo and Juliet of the Nekozowa family,” Kuretake said with a deep level of sorrow, shaking her head in despair. Tamaki slumped even further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina was Juliet in a play. Maybe she and Nekozowa would also be like them,” he thought out loud, falling deep into the narrative that Reina may actually be attracted to the man still prancing around with a puppet attached to his hand. He was interrupted by a hand tightening around his wrist and tugging him backwards. He stumbled a bit but turned around to face Reina, who quickly moved to his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, Kirimi, Tamaki is here too. We’re not going to let anything hurt you,” Reina said, peeking up at Tamaki with a little smile. He looked at her before turning his attention down at Kirimi, who was finally moving her head from Reina’s chest to look up at Tamaki, tears still filling her eyes. He gave the girl a little smile and a nod, which made her finally take a deep breath, already a little exhausted from all of her crying. Tamaki watched as Reina moved back to playing with the young girl’s hair, shifting her body a little closer to Tamaki’s and leaning against him slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is this what our life will be like? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He couldn’t help but wonder, his eyes darting between the consoling Reina and the little one who was slowly calming back down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Will our daughters look anything like Kirimi? Maybe if her eyes were green it would be more accurate. My hair and her eyes. Or maybe our daughters will have Reina’s hair and my eyes, or maybe they’ll just look like Reina, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he continued, a daydream coming to the front of his brain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tama, welcome home!” Reina sang as soon as the front door opened. Tamaki was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, and was soon met with Reina jumping into his arms. She was wearing a dress right out of the 1950’s, modest and puffy. Underneath the flared dress, a baby bump was poking against the fabric. Aside from the unusual attire and pregnant belly, she hadn’t aged in his fantasy. “I missed you today,” she said, giving him a plethora of kisses all over his face. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I missed you much more, my love,” Tamaki admitted, spinning Reina around as she let out little giggles, tightening her grip on his neck. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dad, dad!” A large crowd of voices called out. Like a stampede, at least a dozen children ran into the foyer, gathering around their parents with a buzz of excitement to see their father already home. Tamaki set Reina back down onto the ground very gently before turning to the group, his hands on his hips with a large grin. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I hope none of you have caused too much trouble for your mother today,” he teased, getting a bunch of giggles and laughs back as all the kids shook their heads back at him. Somehow, all of the children in the room were about seven and under, all of them seemingly very close in age. They all had varying features, some that looked more like Reina and some that looked more like Tamaki, a few that looked like a mix, and even a few that looked like neither of them, but Tamaki wasn’t even paying attention much to that aspect; the only thing he could focus on was that these were he and Reina’s children. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy, are you going to come play with us?” One of the tinier girls asked, about three years old. Tamaki crouched down to get eye level with his children, his grin remaining. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You all know the rules. We play after dinner,” Tamaki reminded, getting a few groans and whines in response. “Dinner will be ready very soon, and after we all eat, we can go outside and play some of our favorite games.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Let’s let daddy rest before dinner so he can be energized for us all, okay?” Reina suggested, ignoring the exaggerated pouts she was receiving from every single child in the room. “He’s had a long day at work. How about you all go play outside and I’ll call you in when the food is ready?” Reina added. It was phrased as a question, but with her ‘mom tone’, the children all knew there was no arguing the request. With a few grumbles, they all filed out of the foyer and towards the back door, retreating back to the child’s oasis located in the backyard. Reina turned back to Tamaki, a soft smile on her face as she started to pull his suit coat off to hang up. “How was work today, baby?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It was okay,” Tamaki responded somewhat blandly, planting his hands on Reina’s very pregnant belly once his arms were freed. “How much longer until dinner is ready?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It probably has another twenty or thirty minutes in the oven. Are you hungry now? I can make you something small in the meantime, my husband. Is there anything I can do for you?” She beamed, playing the role of his dream house-wife so elegantly. Tamaki scooped her up flawlessly with a little head shake and a grin. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’d like to spend those twenty or thirty minutes with my beautiful wife,” Tamaki said, whisking her up the stairs and towards their extra large master bedroom, the sound of Reina’s giggles echoing all the way there. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tamaki was ripped out of his blissful envisionment of what the future may look like when Kirimi began to wail again, much louder than she had been before. Tamaki felt a little hand grip onto his cosplay shirt as Kirimi clung herself right in between Reina and Tamaki, holding onto each of them for dear life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t make me, I don’t want to go, I want to stay here with my big brother and the broken bird!” Kirimi persisted, turning her head away from the two Nekozowa family servants making their way over to retrieve her. Reina grimaced again at the broken bird comment, though said nothing, deciding there was no need to argue with a kid, especially considering the timing of everything. From across the room, everyone could see Nekozowa’s face drop at the sound of his little sister calling someone else her brother. Tamaki actually picked up on it fairly quickly, despite still being a little hazy from his trance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nekozowa-Senpai,” Tamaki said softly, but the cloaked man just shook his head a little bit, turning away from the crowd of people watching him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it, Suoh. I just want my sister to be happy,” he admitted, though his frail and cracking voice said otherwise. “You can be a way better big brother to her than I can. Make sure she gets the love that she deserves,” he cried out, voice cracking even more as he bolted out of the double doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Nekozowa!” Tamaki called again, but it was no use. Nekozowa had already made it far down the hall at that point. Everyone stood in silence before Reina finally broke it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s he trying to accomplish, exactly? He can’t just hand over his sister to someone,” she mentioned. “You can’t give away a kid,” she mumbled to herself, more just curious as to what exactly that act was. Tamaki’s head brought him right back to little clips from his daydream when Reina said the word ‘kid’. He pictured the children that had surrounded the pair and how happy they all had been to see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine giving away any of our children,” Tamaki added, his voice much more woeful than hers had been, eyes glossing over as he looked over at Reina. She furrowed her eyebrows a bit, cocking her head in just the slightest at his words, but had no time to question him. Tamaki took Kirimi from in between the two of them before setting her down on the ground and getting down onto one knee to be level with her. “I’m sorry, Kirimi, but I’m not the person you’ve been looking for,” Tamaki told her, giving her an apologetic smile as the girl looked back up at him, clearly confused. “I’m not your dad,” he said. Everyone in the room noticed his error, clearly except for Tamaki himself. Somehow, it went over Kirimi’s head as well, so the conversation trekked on without any issues. “But he’s out there waiting for you - we just have to help him a little bit first.” Tamaki had debated reassuring the little girl that her brother was even more handsome and princely than he was, but the words were unable to form without leaving a sour taste in his mouth after wondering whether or not Reina would agree with the statement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, we’re seriously going to help that guy?” Hikaru asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked back at Tamaki, who had just taken on a determined stance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s right! Once Kirimi entered our club, she became a guest, and our job is to make her happy,” he reminded the room, making any potential protests be swept under the rug. “It’s a tragedy to see someone feel unworthy for their own child, so the plan is to turn Nekozawa into the prince of Kirimi’s dreams!” He exclaimed, hands on his hips as he gave a large and proud nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s all fine, but I would like to know why you keep referring to her as his daughter. I feel as though their relation as siblings has been noted enough times for you to have comprehended that by now,” Kyoya mentioned coolly. Tamaki stared forward in a stunned silence, his face slowly to a bright red. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I've been saying siblings… right? </span>
  </em>
  <span>His eyes darted over to Reina to look for answers, and her curious expression definitely told him that he had in fact not been saying siblings. Luckily for Tamaki, Haruhi changed the subject quick enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senpai, stop making promises you can’t keep,” Haruhi reprimanded, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “I think this task is more difficult than you’re making it out to be.” Tamaki’s color lifted slightly as he gave a little laugh, turning away from the group with a slow head shake, eyes shut and almost fully reverted back to his confident persona. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re all forgetting who we have here on our side. Someone who knows just how to change characters,” he mentioned easily, waving his hand in the air as if to say ‘no big deal’. The host club all exchanged glances and at this point, Reina was completely lost, so she had scooped up Kirimi once more as they both watched in silent wonder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell us you’re thinking who we’re thinking,” the twins finally begged together, already glancing around the room for the inevitable arrival of Renge. As they expected, her familiar maniacal laughter filled the room as Renge appeared up from the floor, yet again in a different spot than the last time her rig had broken through the surface. “Yep, that’s what we thought.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renge and the boys will all go over to help out Nekozawa and fix him, while my girls can spend time here with Kirimi! We have all of the essentials for a tea party, maybe that’s what you ladies can spend your time doing!” Tamaki gushed, eyes fluttering shut as he pictured all three of the girls crowded at a table, partaking in a formal tea party, all the way down to wearing fancy and expensive dresses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No offense, but I’m just not that great with kids,” Haurhi mumbled, trying to think of a way out of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well we’re probably going to need some instant coffee to get us through this, Haruhi,” Hikaru said with a shrug. “You could run to the commoner market and get us some.” Before Hikaru had even finished the sentence, Haruhi was already gathering her items and dashing out of the doors on her errand. Tamaki’s spirit crumbled a little bit, but he decided a tea party for two would still be acceptable. He turned to face Reina and Kirimi, preparing to offer to set up the table for them, but Reina cut him off before he could even speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kirimi, they said you learned all of those terms from shojo manga?” She asked, getting a rapid nod back from Kirimi. Reina got a mischievous look in her eyes, accompanied by a wide grin. “Let me show you my favorite anime! There’s some romance in it, and although no blonde princes, there </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a silver haired prince,” she beamed. Kirimi’s eyes went wide and she once again nodded rapidly, now much more excited. Reina turned to Kyoya, still grinning. “I need to borrow your laptop.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s unfortunately out of the question,” he responded stiffly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to look at any of your stuff, detective, I know it’s all classified,” she teased. “Just sign in as a guest so I won’t even be tempted. Come onnn,” Reina whined, noticing that Kyoya didn’t seem to be changing his mind on the matter. “What else are we supposed to do in this room? I don’t want to take her anywhere, she should be in here so everyone knows where she is,” she pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You dolls could play tea party,” Tamaki suggested again, this time with a bit of pleading in his voice. “You would be so cute. Kirimi, don’t you want to host a little tea party with Reina?” He asked, turning to Kirimi. Her bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears, shaking her head softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I wanna watch her favorite anime,” she called out, the tears beginning to fall and loud cries filled the room. “I wanna watch it!” She repeated, this time much more demanding. Tamaki disintegrated in his spot, all hope in seeing the adorable scenario flying out the window. As Kirimi’s wails grew louder, everyone aside from the girl and Tamaki looked to Kyoya. With a defeated grunt, he moved across the room to retrieve one of his two most precious belongings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get a move on this plan!” Renge yelled out, reminding everyone of the task at hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Renge was relentless with Nekozawa. Despite her efforts, it didn’t seem to be working with him. With all of her hypotheticals and seemingly conflicting rules, it was clear that Nekozawa was beginning to lose hope in the idea that he and his sister would ever be able to get along in any way that he might have hoped they would. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay to be dark and brooding, some girls like it,” Renge said, pulling out photos of a dark haired Nekozawa around the school. “But you can’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> dark, the crowd for emo boys is very small, so you have to remember that!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think Reina likes dark and brooding men?” Tamaki asked absentmindedly to the twins, watching Nekozawa as he desperately tried to remember everything Renge was advising of him. The twins each scoffed, shaking their heads. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She likes you, so there’s no way,” Kaoru pointed out. The pout came back onto Tamaki’s lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She called him handsome back in the host club room, but didn’t answer when I asked if I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> handsome,” Tamaki told them, expecting some sort of reaction out of them, but got nothing in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think her answer would have been?” Hikaru asked dully, rolling his eyes when Tamaki gave a half-assed shrug. “You’re so stupid. Nobody expected him to look like that under the dark clothing, he’s definitely way better looking than any of us imagined. I’m sure we all thought he was going to look super weird.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe she thought he was handsome because he looks like you, Tama-Chan!” Honey pointed out, nodding over to Nekozawa. “With the blonde hair and light eyes, she might like the similar features!” Tamaki held back the scowl he was fighting so hard against. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think I look a thing like him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought to himself, staring at the squeamish man who was cowering almost anytime Renge yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey boss, speaking of super weird, what the hell was going on back there when you kept mentioning kids and referring to Kirimi as Nekozawa’s daughter?” Kaoru asked, turning to Tamaki, who was still somewhat pouting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just imagining something,” Tamaki admitted, eyes fixated on Nekozawa to avoid eye contact with either of the twins. “Seeing Reina act all motherly just made me think of the future,” he added, his voice turning back to a dreamy state as he closed his eyes, losing the pout and smiling at the memory of her in that cutesy dress. The twins exchanged a glance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss, when are you going to admit you love her?” Hikaru asked bluntly, shocking Tamaki back to the present with wide eyes. “It’s pretty obvious.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need you two meddling in my love life,” he snapped, shaking his head a bit at their accusation, despite it being correct. He tuned back into Renge’s lessons, trying to dedicate his attention back into it, ignoring the twin’s mocking little smirks that they were now wearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just hard to imagine </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Kirimi,” Nekozawa admitted, motioning over to the teddy bear dressed like the little girl. “It looks nothing like her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just have to strengthen that imagination, Nekozawa-Senpai,” Tamaki encouraged. “It’s not that hard, and it’s important that you practice what you’re going to say!” He added, which perked the twins up almost instantaneously. Kaoru rushed off to prepare something, just as Nekozawa let out a tiny, defeated sigh and moved closer to the teddy bear representing his little sister. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If it’s not that hard,” Kaoru said, propping up the mannequin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And if it’s important like you said,” Hikaru added, forcibly pulling Tamaki over to the quick creation Kaoru had come up with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then lead by example and declare your love for Reina to this mannequin!” They announced together, practically shoving Tamaki into it. He stumbled a bit then looked at the item in front of him. The mannequin was wearing a wig that was similar enough to Reina’s hair, and a dress that he recognized in an instant - the maid dress from the second day of the cultural festival. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I peeled her out of this dress before we went home that day, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki remembered, cheeks flaring up as the memory crossed his mind. He recalled standing behind her in the dressing room and unbuttoning it slowly, watching as it became looser and looser in her reflection, before he pushed the fabric from her shoulders and let it hit the ground, revealing her body staring back at him through the mirror. Just as nobody in the room thought he could get any redder, he did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Tama-Chan, show Neko-Chan how to do it!” Honey added, which made Tamaki let out a soft little whimper from embarrassment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it would be beneficial for Nekozawa to see how it’s done, since you did consider it easy,” Kyoya slyly remarked, ignoring the glare sent his way as he held a pen to his notebook, more than prepared to jot down every single word that was undoubtedly going to come from Tamaki’s mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mori echoed, preparing to have a little something to chuckle at after the tense teaching that had been going on in the room. Tamaki stared forward at the mannequin, swallowing both his excessive saliva alongside his pride as he took a single step forward, resting one of his hands against the curveless doll. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now I know what Nekozawa meant about how this was nothing like the real thing, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tamaki thought to himself. Still, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, once again picturing the Reina he had seen in his imagination minutes prior. The new sight in front of his closed eyelids made his breath hitch, and he moved his other hand to the other side of the mannequin, now both of his hands pressed against the lifeless waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina,” he began quietly, clearing his throat just a little bit. As her name left his mouth, almost like magic, his daydream from earlier reappeared, only this time there were some minor adjustments. Instead of wearing the modest and motherly dress like earlier, now she was wearing this skimpy maid dress that laid in front of him, and her baby bump had disappeared. He just imagined that there were no more kids downstairs, however, Reina was still taking on her house-wife duties from the last scenario.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><em><span>“I’m all yours for the next twenty to thirty minutes,”</span></em> <em><span>Reina teased as Tamaki laid her on the bed. She was looking up at him so adoringly, biting the corner of her lip ever so slightly, something he felt like he had seen so many times before. </span></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sight of it made Tamaki shake, both in and outside of his imagination. Goosebumps filled his body as he tightened his grip on the mannequin, his mind tricking him into believing he was actually holding onto the real Reina and that he was fully living in this hallucination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay with me, forever,” Tamaki said, seemingly off to a good start. All the host club members exchanged glances, a little shocked that he was speaking his truth so seamlessly. While looking at one another, they missed Tamaki leaning in and pressing his lips against the cold plastic’s neck. “Let the food burn, just stay here with me, that’s all I need right now,” he added, pulling the doll closer against his body, one of his hands sliding up to start unbuttoning the dress. Eyes went wide all around the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let the food burn? What the hell does that mean?” Hikaru whispered, eyebrows furrowed as he looked around for some sort of answer, not getting a single response from the equally confused faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should we stop this? I think he’s going to go too far,” Honey mentioned, watching Tamaki with wide eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel like we should, but I think the real question we should be asking is, are we actually going to?” Kyoya mused, vigorously taking notes. Mori let out a little huff of a laugh at Kyoya’s joke, yet it felt less like a joke considering nobody moved to bring Tamaki back to reality yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here I thought you would actually be in here helping Nekozawa. Of course you would be acting like perverts,” a voice said from the door. All eyes, including Tamaki’s shot up to see a very unamused Haruhi. Tamaki slowly looked back down at his hands, blinking briskly as he noticed that he was fully cradling the doll. One of his hands was lifting it up by the butt, while the second was about halfway through the buttons on the dress. His face was still practically buried at the neck of the mannequin. He dropped the doll promptly, his face turning the brightest red anyone had seen to it turn to so far. “You’re disgusting, I’d rather deal with the kid then sit around for stuff like this,” Haruhi added, turning on her heel with the bag of instant coffee and venturing back to the host club room. Tamaki stared forward, another snivel falling out as he heard the twins begin to start cackling from behind. Haruhi let out a little groan as she walked, more than a little sickened with their behavior and how gross the boys could be. She pushed open the door to the host room and found Reina and Kirimi sitting on one of the couches with Kyoya’s laptop sitting on the table in front of them. Kirimi was watching the screen with wide, glossy eyes, clearly very intrigued in the show. “Hey Reina, I can take over if you want. I think maybe one of us should be over there to supervise them and keep them on track,” Haruhi offered casually, trying not to let the disdain into her voice. Reina peered up at Haruhi, furrowing her eyebrows a little in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she said quietly, trying not to disrupt the invested little girl next to her. “But you didn't seem all too thrilled to babysit, right? You sure you wouldn’t prefer to be the one to supervise them?” She asked curiously. Haruhi grimaced very slightly, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, I’m more than happy to sit here with Kirimi,” Haruhi said, setting down the bag of coffee. “If you get sick of any of them, just say I made them something to drink and send them in here. I’ll make a few cups,” she added. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’ll likely want to kick some of them out if my words didn’t stop them already,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Haruhi thought to herself, shuddering just a tiny bit. Reina cocked an eyebrow, but gave a slow nod as she stood up. A thought popped into her head and she pulled out a pen and paper, jotting down a few things, then handing the slip over to Haruhi with a little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here are some of the episodes Kirimi will want to watch. She already picked a favorite character and doesn’t want to watch any episodes without him in them,” Reina explained. Haruhi furrowed her eyebrows at the list but gave a short nod back. Reina gave both of the girls a grin and a little wave - though Kirimi was far from paying attention - before heading out the doors and towards the other room. Reina propped the door open slightly and slipped in, trying not to let too much light into the room, as she wasn’t sure how severe the issue with Nekozawa was. Tamaki turned to the door, expecting Haruhi again, but a completely shocked gasp flew from his mouth when he saw Reina again. The twins turned to look over and couldn’t contain their snickers. “Uh, hey,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows, noticing how even Kyoya and Mori were smirking slightly and Honey was giving her a large, innocent beam. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever Haruhi said was wrong,” Tamaki blurted out. Reina stared back at him, blinking a few times as she tried to figure out what was happening. “She saw wrong.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All she told me was one of us should come supervise. But maybe I should go ask her what she saw,” Reina noted, slowly turning around to get all of the missed information from Haruhi, but Tamaki dashed forward and threw himself in the doorway, laughing nervously as he guarded her from leaving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that sounds like a great idea, you should probably supervise us. We’ve gotten off track a ton of times, that’s all she saw! If you leave now, we’ll probably get off track again!” He practically yelled, trying to keep her and Haruhi as far away from one another as he possibly could. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Haruhi’s sure to tell Reina if she outright asks, and there’s no way to explain myself out of that one. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His eyes moved from Reina’s confused face up to the rest of the club, begging them nonverbally to say something else to change her mind. As his eyes scanned the room, they landed on the twins and Tamaki’s jaw dropped about as far as it possibly could. The twins each had their arms around the Reina doll. Kaoru was even turning his head, giving mocking little kisses to the mannequin’s neck. Reina was faced away from the scene so was unable to see it. Before she could turn her head to follow his gaze, Tamaki bolted from the doorway and ripped the mannequin from the twin’s grasp, chucking it across the dark room and far from sight. Reina turned back around with a jump at the sound of the crash but couldn’t quite pinpoint where it came from. “Just like now, we’re off track! Come along, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said with a little chuckle, elbowing both of the laughing redheads next to him then casually intertwined his hands behind his back, trying to look casual. Reina just stared at him, wide eyed. She finally glanced around, not noticing a shift in anyone else’s prior attitudes as she was still getting laughs and smirks, if not even moreso. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can see why Haruhi didn’t want to be in here,” she mumbled to herself, shaking her head a little bit as she stepped all the way into the room. Tamaki let out an audible sigh of relief as he collapsed to the ground, more than happy that she decided to stay instead of going off to get more information. Finally, Reina turned away from the snickers of the twins and noticed Renge and Nekozawa. Even throughout the distractions, Renge had continued on with her brutal verbal lashings; it was clear even through the darkness that Nekozawa looked like he was seconds away from crying. As soon as Reina picked up on some of the awful things Renge was saying, she rushed over to Kyoya, obviously the most coherent of the group. “What the hell is this?” He cast a single glance up at her, then over at Tamaki who was hushedly berating the twins, but Reina simply shook her head and pointed over to the distraught Nekozawa.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought the plan was pretty obvious,” he noted, shutting his notebook now that Reina was close enough to it. Reina furrowed her eyebrows as she crossed her arms. “Is there any issue?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, clearly. She’s ripping him apart for no reason,” she pointed out. Kyoya pushed his glasses up silently, waiting for elaboration. “Bullying him isn’t gonna help.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s just how she does it,” Kaoru shrugged as the twins popped up next to Reina, now that they had finally made it out of Tamaki’s grasp. Tamaki was standing to the side with Honey and Mori, quietly asking the duo if they thought the group of four was talking about him, once again not really being met with a response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s this Russian saying, it says that the same water that softens the potato also hardens the egg,” Reina recalled, a frown on her lips. “One approach can’t work with every single person.” She turned over to the pair. “Hey, Renge,” Reina called out, which stopped the girl in the middle of another insult. “Haruhi said she made a cup of coffee just for you since you’ve been working so hard. It’s in the host room.” Renge’s former irritated state softened almost immediately and she gave a little stretch, sighing in the process. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so glad my hard work is noted,” she beamed, leaving the shaking Nekozawa in his spot on the ground as she scurried out of the room and headed off to go take her well deserved break. Reina moved from her spot immediately and made her way over to Nekozawa, taking a seat on the ground in front of him and giving him a tiny smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” she said softly, then pointed to the flashlight that was turned off in his hands. “Can I see that?” She asked innocently. Nekozawa did a double take, trying to figure out what the catch was, especially after being abused by Renge for the last hour or so. “No tricks,” she added, holding her hands up in defense. Slowly, Nekozawa held the flashlight out to her. Reina smiled gently as she took it from his hand. “I’m going to turn it on, but for me. Is that cool?” She asked, and he gave a single nod. She flicked the switch, pointing the light right at the ground in between their bodies. Everyone else in the room was watching intently, trying to figure out where she was going with it. “That doesn’t hurt, right?” She checked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he finally said, and she gave a little nod, holding it in it’s position still pointed at the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’m probably on the other side of the fence about this then the rest of them are, but I don’t think you should change yourself for anyone,” Reina said cautiously, casting a quick glance to the group, trying to tell them that she had a plan with this conversation rather than doing backtracking as it probably appeared. “Not relationships, not for your friends, not for your family. I think there’s a way to cohabitate with people that are much different than you are.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Kirimi and I aren’t just different, we’re opposites,” he pointed out, though his rebuttal was quiet, scared of getting screamed at again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, for now,” Reina argued. Nekozawa stared back at her, not quite understanding. “Do you think Kirimi will be afraid of the dark for her whole life? She’s a kid. She’ll outgrow that fear eventually.” Unbeknownst to Nekozawa, Reina had lifted the flashlight just a tad, directing the light at his legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you really think so?” He asked genuinely, as if he hadn’t thought of that before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” Reina said with a grin. “I think the majority of kids have a fear of the dark, but how many adults do you know that are scared of it?” She pointed out, lifting the flashlight just a bit more to reach his waist level. When he didn’t answer, Reina motioned to the rest of the hosts, who had all moved in closer to watch the encounter up close. “None of them are afraid of the dark. Renge isn’t. Haruhi isn’t. I’m not. We’ve all been in the dark here with you,” Reina told him with a smile. Nekozawa nodded, but a little frown spread onto his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I want to be the big brother she needs now, not later,” he reminded her. Reina nodded softly.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I get that,” she told him, using the opportunity of him being distracted to raise the flashlight up to his chest, being as slow as she could be. “I have a weird situation with my siblings, too. Maybe not as extreme as yours, but still weird. I don’t see them very often, but occasionally I’ll talk to them on the phone. Have you ever tried calling Kirimi? If you two are unable to be in the same room as each other, maybe any sort of communication is better than none.” Nekozawa furrowed his eyebrows a little bit as he shook his head. “You could always try that. And like I said,” Reina started, finally pushing the flashlight up further and approaching his face with the light. She could hear some sharp inhales from the hosts, all worried about what was going to happen, but everyone in the room calmed as Nekozawa didn’t even flinch at the light now flashing against his nose and mouth. “I don’t think you need to change, but compromises can always be made. Like for instance, light is shining on your face right now and you’re okay,” she pointed out to him. His eyes darted down as he shot back, breathing heavily. “Hey, you’re okay!” She assured him quickly. Nekozawa paused as she realized that she was right. “Sunlight is more extreme, I get that. But at least we know that you’re capable of at least some light. Kirimi’s looking for a blonde, princely big brother. Maybe we could try a new combination. Instead of the cloak and wig, could we try an umbrella? You can still wear the cloak - just maybe not over your head so she can see your hair and face,” she tried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can try it,” Nekozawa decided. Reina grinned and turned to the group, who was already on it. In Mori’s hands was a standard umbrella, but the twins were each holding up one of the oversized faux palm leaves from one of their prior cosplay events. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let's use the leaves and take a little walk down the hall near the windows," Reina ordered as she stood up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We don't need to provoke any bad luck by opening an umbrella inside, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself. Kaoru moved to Nekozawa's side, handing over the faux leaf as Hikaru dropped his own on the ground and grabbed onto the black cloak, throwing it around the man's shoulders just as he was standing. Reina moved back to the remaining hosts, who all gave her a quiet round of applause. Had it come from any other group, Reina would have assumed that they would have been mocking her, but she teasingly curtsied back at the genuine praise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I have to say, I'm quite impressed," Kyoya admitted, making another note on a page and snapping it shut again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't get too excited, we're not even in the hall yet," Reina reminded quietly. She turned around to see Nekozawa standing in his place, waiting for his next instructions. Reina motioned him over as the pair started to walk towards the doorway. Just as they were about to approach the light seeping in, he skidded to a stop. Reina glanced up at him, stopping where he did as well. She sent him a little smile as the rest of the club crowded around them from behind, just waiting. "Do you know what affirmations are?" She asked as he continued to stare into the hall. Slowly, he shook his head. "It's all about manifestation. If you say something enough times, you'll start to believe it. Even if you already believe it, it'll remind you. You should try and do that now, for an extra boost," she tried, keeping her grin. Nekozawa took a peek at the hosts behind him, growing just a little embarrassed at the idea of doing that in front of all of them, but their nods of approval helped him to cast aside that discomfort. He turned back out towards the hall with a deep breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm a handsome, princely big brother," he said quietly, pausing for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're a handsome, princely big brother," Reina agreed much more enthusiastically than he had said it, motioning for the rest of the boys to repeat it with her. When Nekozawa said it again, everyone in the room echoed the response - except for Tamaki, who was just saying 'you're a big brother' with some pauses in the middle to stay on track with the group. By the third time, Nekozawa was yelling it out, much more confident with the words. After the group repeated it back to him, mirroring his levels of conviction, he tightened his grip on the palm leaf. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And I'm not afraid of the light!" He belted out, jumping out of the darkness and into his shaded version of the light. Cheers from the group behind him erupted as he glanced down at himself, expecting to collapse, but he didn't. Reina didn't skip a beat, choosing not to let the excitement of the moment slip from everyone's grasp as she jumped out with him and began to lead him down the hall. They all followed Nekozawa around for a bit, sending him words of encouragement now that they were convinced that he worked better with positivity. After about five minutes of successful light absorbing, they all heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey!" Haruhi called out, skidding to a stop with Renge at her side once they made their way to the group. Haruhi glanced around the group's feet before letting out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of her neck. "Nobody's seen Kirimi around here… right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She left?" Reina asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "She seemed really content. You didn't see where she went?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, I may have neglected to change the laptop to another one of the episodes you told me to put on," Haruhi admitted, still not making eye contact with anyone. "She must have snuck out when I wasn't looking." Reina stood stunned for just a moment before beginning the walk back to the host room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She didn't come this way, so she must've gone the other way," Reina called behind her shoulder, picking up her speed just a bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How the hell do they function when I'm not around? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina couldn't help but wonder, letting out a tiny huff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Reina, wait!" Tamaki called out to her. She expected to hear him following after, but when she didn't, she turned around to see them all staring out the window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She's afraid of cats," she heard Nekozawa call out frantically. She quickly made her way back over to see what was happening, but before she could even look out the window, the sound of glass shattering sent all of their eyes shooting towards the cloaked man jumping out of the second story window. Reina's eyes widened and she finally got a chance to look out the window, watching as Kirimi held a stick up towards the cat as if it were a sword, but she was still shaking immensely. Nekozawa called out her name, which made Kirimi turn to him and made the cat scurry off. Everyone above watched the reunion, some even teary-eyed, specifically Reina and Honey. Nekozawa had kept a tight grasp on the palm leaf, which allowed him to start his trek of carrying Kirimi back towards the Ouran Academy entrance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I have to say, I'm quite offended that he chose to go into the light when I left. And after all of </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard work," Renge scoffed, crossing her arms as the siblings moved out of sight. Hikaru turned to her, a mild grimace on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"All of this was thanks to Re -"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Renge. All of this was thanks to Renge, I agree," Reina interrupted, shooting Hikaru a look, though all of the other boys looked equally as annoyed as Hikaru was over Renge taking sole credit. Renge flipped her hair smugly, her chin pointed to the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, I know," she said simply, turning around and giving the group a little wave. "I'm going to go finish that coffee, I deserve it," she beamed, skipping off towards the host room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Her confidence never seems to fail," Tamaki muttered. Reina had moved over to the broken window, sweeping up bits of the shattered glass that was lingering on the window sill into her hand and then dropping them out of the busted part, letting the tiny pieces rejoin the rest of it that was scattered in the grass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm still impressed," Kyoya noted, looking to Reina. She shrugged softly, a small smile on her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He definitely did way better when Reina came," Tamaki mentioned, a frown forming on his face. "Maybe they work better together," he muttered. Reina actually caught that comment this time, but decided to ignore it for the time being. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Rei-Chan, you did so good!" Honey added, a little echoed 'yeah' coming from Mori shortly after. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I just have to ask one question," Haruhi said cautiously, looking to Reina. Reina glanced up, giving a tiny nod back. Tamaki's face dropped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is she going to talk about what she saw? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He made his way behind Reina, intertwining his fingers together in a pleading ball and pushing his bottom lip out, begging Haruhi not to say anything. Haruhi glanced up at Tamaki before rolling her eyes, then moved on to ask her original question. "I watched a little bit of that anime with her. It didn't seem like it was all too suitable for someone her age," Haruhi mentioned, ignoring as Tamaki visibly relaxed, dropping his arms back down and throwing them around Reina in a victory that he wouldn't need to explain that situation. Reina was used to his antics at this point and didn't even flinch when his arms had snapped around her, instead she just leaned her body back into him as she shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"About as suitable as debauchery is," she pointed out. "Besides, I picked that particular show deliberately."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Because it's your favorite, right?" The twins asked, reminding her that they had all been there for that conversation, but she shook her head. She glanced up when she saw Nekozawa emerge at the far end of the hall, still carrying the ecstatic Kirimi. Nekozawa obviously looked tired, but more than anything, he looked happy. Reina figured it probably had more to do with demolishing and then jumping out of a window then it did with the actual sunlight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There are a lot of darker aesthetic characters in that show. Some of them with capes and cloaks and hoods,” she explained quietly, turning back to the group with a little grin. “I was hoping it would open her up to his attire. I think it worked, since he’s still wearing the cloak.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You planned that?” Mori asked, and she gave a tiny shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I figured he wouldn’t give up everything, otherwise he already would have. And I don’t think he needs to change, anyway. Like I told him, they can cohabitate with their differences. It looks like they’ve already started that,” she told the group, just as Nekozawa and Kirimi walked past them. Kirimi was beaming up at her brother, less than concerned with the rest of her surroundings. Everyone took notice of the bliss shining in Nekozawa’s eyes as he gave them a nonverbal thank you, nodding to the group, and an extra one in Reina’s direction before he continued off to gather his belongings to head home with his little sister. The group watched them walk off, all of them content with their work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It might be a good time to call it a wrap for the day,” Kyoya said, breaking the peaceful silence. There were a few little sighs of relief and the majority of the club turned off to head towards their club room. Tamaki was still standing behind Reina, his arms loosening as he began to make movements to follow them, but Reina turned around in his grasp and she threw her arms around his neck, keeping him in place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I heard a few comments coming from you earlier,” she mentioned casually, pushing up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on the side of his jaw, then pushed herself up even further to place her lips closer to his ear. “Have you been unnecessarily jealous today, my baby?” She asked him softly. His hands landed on her waist as he pulled her back just a bit, surprising her with his famous puppy dog eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think he’s better looking than I am?” He asked, his voice completely serious. Reina moved one of her hands to cup his cheek, holding back every fiber of her being that wanted to joke around with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki, you’re definitely the most handsome man I’ve ever met in my life,” she assured him, revelling in the sight of his face softening right in front of her. “And I’ll remind you again, I’m going home with you, so don’t waste your energy on being jealous,” she teased, giving him a peck on the nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Reina’s over there?” A voice called from behind, once again faced away from Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If she’s over there, then who’s here with us?” Another asked, a clear smirk on their face. Tamaki looked up, his face falling once more. This time, he didn’t have enough time to fix it. Reina turned her head back, her eyes landing on the twin’s each holding onto the mannequin dressed like her. “Boss, we could switch if you wanted to pick up where you left off with this one earlier?” Kaoru offered, a wide grin on his face as he attempted to look innocent. Reina turned back to look at Tamaki, who had practically turned into a statue, staring forward at the audacious twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’m going to need to adjust what I said earlier. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>may</span>
  </em>
  <span> still be going home with you. But I gotta figure out what that’s all about first before I decide,” Reina said, though she couldn’t help but laugh just a bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s always something with this group. Not that I have any room to talk. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Sorry that this chapter was mostly fluff! I wanted to get a fun, lighthearted chapter in before we got to some of the real shit. Which is hereeeee. Prepare for the next few chapters! I hope you enjoyed it either way, and I hope you’re excited to see what’s to come, I’m so excited for you to read! Until next time &lt;3</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0061"><h2>61. Man of the House (61)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: slight trigger warning. Nothing </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>too </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>intense in this chap, but just be aware. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Sixty One</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What song are you playing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just an old song,” Reina said with a shrug, circling one of the answers on her worksheet, then glanced up at the laptop that was sitting at the end of her bed where the music was coming out from. “Is it too loud? I can turn it off if it’s bothering you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can hardly hear it, but it sounds pretty,” he told her, adjusting in his own bed, moving the phone to his other ear to give his left hand a break from holding it up. “In fact, it’s so pretty that you should sing it to me the next time we see each other, my angel of music,” he doted, lovestruck at the idea of it for a moment before squinting his eyes down at his paper. “Did you get C for question eleven?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you already on question eleven? I’m doing eight right now,” Reina said, furrowing her eyebrows. Tamaki couldn’t help but chuckle, and she could only picture the smug smirk he was currently sporting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to be this smart, I’ll admit,” he mused, moving past the current question to work on the next as he waited for Reina to get there and give him assistance. “If you just came over then I would let you copy the whole paper. I could probably finish in the time it would take you to get here and then we both would be free,” he suggested, singing his offer as charmingly as he could over the phone. Reina was currently struggling with the question she was on, and for a moment heavily contemplated it, but shook it away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a school night, Mister Suoh. We both know that I don’t break rules,” she joked, picturing the new facial expression he was bound to have. Just as she expected, he was grimacing on the other end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think one time you told me that rules were meant to be broken,” he recalled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I think I told you that </span>
  <em>
    <span>promises</span>
  </em>
  <span> were meant to be broken,” she corrected, giving a little grin at the flashback, thinking about the first conversation they had about her ghosting all of her former friends and classmates. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How different things were back then. So on edge to tell him things, so secretive. I don’t feel like I’m that way anymore. I feel like I’ve changed a lot, I think I could tell him pretty much anything happening in my life. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I guess rules too - but only sometimes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why isn’t tonight a ‘sometimes’ kind of night?” He teased, flipping the page over to start on the next side. Reina could hear the sound of the shuffling paper and bit the inside of her cheek, still very much thinking about the option of rushing off to his house to end this vigorous homework nightmare for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll just have to see how the rest of the night goes, maybe I’ll give in,” she responded, really only a smidge joking. Tamaki perked up at the mention of a possibility, since his request on that was typically denied more times than it was approved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m about to go make myself a platter of desserts and I’ll have more than enough to share,” he added, trying to tack on additional incentives to come and join him for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A platter of desserts, huh? You don’t normally have such a sweet tooth before bed,” she noted. He let out an exasperated sigh from the other end of the call. “I’m not trying to shame you, it sounds great. It’s just unusual for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not that. I normally get my fix during club hours but with Honey’s cavity, we’ve done away with anything sugary for the past two days. It’s been much more tiring in the afternoons without it,” Tamaki admitted, setting aside his completed assignment and pulling himself from the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As long as he takes care of it then it should get better soon, and then you’ll all get your desserts back again,” Reina reminded with a little smile, peeking over at the bedroom door. “Are you going to go make that now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was planning on it,” he nodded, already swinging his bedroom door open. “Should I pile it extra high for both of us to share?” He tried again, a grin on his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, maybe not,” Reina said, suppressing a sigh as she set her half finished assignment to the free side of her bed and climbed out of it, giving a little stretch. “But maybe just call me back when you’re done. I’m going to go get a glass of water.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have both glasses and a lot of water in my kitchen,” Tamaki reminded her charmingly, unable to contain his smile as he skipped down the steps. He had a gut feeling that she would end up coming over by the end of the night, and although he was almost sure that his persistence wasn’t necessary, he also knew that there was definitely no harm in it either. Reina rolled her eyes as she slid her feet into her slippers and pulled her shorts down a little more, letting them cling to her thighs just an inch or two lower then they had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, baby,” she teased right back at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, just as long as you know,” he grinned, pushing open his kitchen door. “I can provide you with everything you need.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you can. Call me when you’re done and maybe we can talk about other things you can provide me, like the homework answers,” Reina mused, pulling open her own bedroom door and starting to walk down the hall, being as quiet as she could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry to inform you, my dear, sweet princess, but I believe homework copying is a privilege to be enjoyed in person,” he joked. They both knew he would recite every answer to her in a flash if she asked him to. Still, he hoped that his answer would push her over just enough to agree. “I’ll give you your time to think over your options, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I’ll call you right back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, can’t wait. Talk to you in a few,” she smiled, pulling the phone from her ear. She was the first to hang up, which was normally the case. Tamaki typically could spend hours prolonging a goodbye, but Reina always found it so cute. She tucked her phone into her hoodie pocket as she made her way down the steps and towards the kitchen. Though there were still minimal amounts of staff members in the house at night, none of them were ever in the kitchen after dinner was done, so she knew she wouldn’t have to worry about an uncomfortable run-in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even though I live here, it still feels like I’m intruding on some restricted area when I go into the kitchen,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself as she slipped inside, immediately heading over to grab a glass. She picked out a standard size, then moved over to the fridge to fill it up with water and ice. Reina studied the glass as she did so, running one of her fingers across the etchings in it, then pulled it back once it was full enough for her liking. She moved across the kitchen once more, pushing the kitchen door open and attempting to make it out and up the stairs in as short amount of time as possible. After only two or three steps in the right direction, a sound made her freeze. From the front of the house, Reina could hear the front door popping open, then briskly shutting once more. She scowled slightly, shaking her head a bit as she continued on her walk, slowly moving towards the steps. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Seems early for the fake door opening, but I guess I only saw that once. Maybe they do it at different times each night? Or maybe the guy just forgot about it last time and only remembered when it was much later? I’d be curious to hear how that works, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself. She was almost too in tune with her mind to have heard her name being called. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina!” A voice rang, only slightly familiar. She froze in her spot before slowly turning her head, a teeny smile on her face to remain respectful. “Long time no see, little one. I’m glad for your presence, even if it was just coincidental,” Saito said, setting his briefcase down on the ground where he stood, just outside the official foyer. Reina turned the rest of her body to face him, extending her smile just a little bit as she clasped both hands over her water cup, giving a short bow to the elder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a while, hello,” Reina said, accompanied by a short giggle, not sure how else to respond exactly. Saito clapped his hands together once, a wide grin on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe this must be fate. Normally I assume you must be asleep when I get home,” </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you get home,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself somewhat bitterly. “So I haven’t been able to visit with you. I’m going to have a drink, would you mind joining me in the living room so we can connect?” He asked, innocently. Reina could already feel her phone vibrating against her stomach in her hoodie pocket, presumably her cue that Tamaki was finished with his task and was ready to talk again, but she gave Saito a nod anyway. “Excellent! Why don’t you head there now, and I’ll meet you there once I have my beverage?” He asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d be happy to,” Reina told him with a nod, returning his wide beam as she turned towards the formal living room and began to head in that direction. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s probably a nice guy, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina had to remind herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to cast aside my judgments or else I’m going to be rude, I just know it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She took a seat on one of the couches that mirrored an armchair, assuming that he would likely want to sit there, as it was the typical spot for the man of the house. Reina pulled her phone out and sent a swift text to Tamaki that she would call as soon as she could, then tucked it back into her pocket. She took a swig from her cup before placing it down atop one of the many coasters on the coffee table in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I would have worn actual clothes had I known I would be running into him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she grimaced, crossing her legs to try and conceal any part of her legs that she could. In the middle of her contemplation of rushing upstairs and changing, Saito emerged through the living room doors, leaving her no time to make that decision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m very excited to be able to chat with you,” he admitted, crossing past the armchair that Reina had already mentally assigned him to and instead took a seat on the couch next to her. Reina moved a little further down on it to create more space between the pair, but played it off like she was just turning herself to face him with a tiny grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry we haven’t really been able to yet,” Reina told him, giving a tiny head shake in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s completely my fault, I apologize for my lack of attendance,” he told her, then gave his soda can a tiny shake. “I see you have yourself some water. You know you’re welcome to the more fun options of the house,” he joked, getting a tiny laugh from Reina. She relaxed a little bit, settling into the spot she was in on the couch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, I partake in those frequently. I just don’t love sugar right before bed,” she told him, smiling gently as she thought about Tamaki in his house likely going to town on the platter of sweets. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not on my own, at least. It’s fun with Tamaki,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, relaxing even more. Saito chuckled softly as he pulled on the tab of the drink, cracking it open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just so long as you’re aware. How are you enjoying your stay, my dear? Is there anything I can do for you, any accommodations that I can make?” He asked. Reina reached out to grab her water glass, giving him a small head shake as she took a drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“None at all, no. I’ve really appreciated your hospitality in allowing me to live here, everything has been amazing,” she responded genuinely. Truly, she couldn’t think of a single thing she needed. Even as she thought about it, she realized that was the case in practically every aspect of her life. </span><em><span>My living situation is pretty ideal,</span></em> <em><span>I have a great life at school, I’m socially active, I have friends, I have Tamaki. Family - eh. But that’s fine, I have Connor and all of my other families,</span></em><span> she thought, grinning to herself. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad to hear that,” he nodded, taking a swig of his own drink. “If you happen to think of anything, just let me know. Our sons seemed to enjoy Ouran well enough, how is it for you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love it,” she told him. “The workload is heavy at times, but aside from that, it’s great. Definitely one of the better schools I’ve been to in my lifetime.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do remember their complaints about the work,” he recalled with a short chuckle. “No matter. It’s excellent preparation. College is even worse, and work is the worst of all,” he reminded her with a little wink. She couldn’t help but laugh, nodding back just a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t remind me, it’ll make me want to postpone both of those,” she warned, getting another laugh back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He is nice,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself. “It seems like you have a lot of work on your plate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do indeed,” he agreed. “Someone has to pay for all of these luxuries,” he reminded gently, shaking the can again and motioning to the elegant living room surrounding them. “A house for you and my wife to live comfortably in,” he added, just as gentle as before, yet it still didn’t keep her from getting flustered over it. Reina’s face turned a soft pink and she glanced down at her hands, biting the inside of her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess when you put it like that. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean it like that,” she tried. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was what I meant,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. “It just seems like you’re very busy, I’m sure you wish you had a little extra off time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I take no offense,” he assured, moving just a little bit closer on the couch as she continued to stare down into her hands and gave her a short pat on the shoulder. “I’ll have time off when I'm retired,” he mentioned, giving Reina a little smile when she glanced back up at him. She eased up a little bit, though a ball of guilt was sitting in the pit of her stomach. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The man of the house typically works - I guess he just works excessively. He probably has to, I guess. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying your stay. Sora and I have talked briefly about your stay, she’s mentioned that you’ve had quite a few friends over in the past few months. So you must be getting along well with your classmates?” He asked, pushing past their original conversation flawlessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really am. I have quite a large group of friends. My electives have helped me out a lot with that,” she casually mentioned. When his interest seemed piqued, she continued. “I’m doing photography and theatre. My photography class is mostly full of quiet students, but I have a lot of friends in my theatre class. I would say my theatre class is where I have the majority of my friends, but I also have a large group outside of that class as well, too,” she told him. Reina couldn’t help but smile at the ‘large group’ she had been talking about, which at this point, also included the entire host club. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if Tamaki’s done with that worksheet, who knows how long I’ll be down here. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makoto did theatre for a little bit,” Saito told her. He let out a chuckle at the single eyebrow of hers that perked up as Reina tried to picture the stuffy man that she had recently met anywhere near a script or a stage. “I know, it was a little unusual. It was very short lived, just in middle school,” he elaborated, taking a drink from the can then set it on the coffee table. Reina grabbed her own cup and took a quick drink, setting the glass down immediately afterwards. “I thought that Renzo would have done well in theatre, but he was much more interested in art. On his part, that was a smart move, considering his career is solely artistic. Once Makoto hit high school, I was not surprised when the only electives he took were business related. His first year, he used both of his electives to learn English, even though most students wait until later to take on that task. Aito waited until college, and to this day, I don’t think Renzo knows anything but the basics,” he laughed. Reina smiled a little bit, still trying to picture a younger, less intimidating version of Makoto. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand the struggle of trying to cram one language into a year. I had to do it a few times, including learning Japanese,” she reminded him. Saito inched closer to her just a bit, giving her another little pat on the shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember that being mentioned to us. I must say, even though you spoke very fluently our first encounter, you’ve most certainly gotten better. You must be a clever girl,” he doted. Reina gave him a little grin, not sure how to respond to the compliment. Still, despite her uncomfort with the praise, she was warming up to Saito quite easily. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s actually pretty nice, it makes me sort of wish he was around more often. If not for me, then for Sora for sure. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“It seems like you’ve been having fun nights out, as well,” he mentioned, though his tone had changed from the last few sentences to something just a bit more serious. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she tried to pick up on what he may have been referring to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mostly weekends, yes,” she answered, eyebrows still furrowed. Aside from the shift in his voice, he was still looking over at her with a beam. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been made aware of a particular beach trip. Was that fun?” He asked her innocently. Reina shifted in her position, changing which leg was crossed over the other. She could feel her phone vibrating in her pocket again, but this time just once, so she concluded that it was likely Tamaki texting to check in on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very,” she lied, trying not to think back to the incident that took place then. “Beaches are always pretty, it was nice to get away for the day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For the day, yes,” he nodded. “It seems like that isn’t the case for much longer than that. You came back here earlier than intended, yes?” He asked to clarify. Reina’s face didn’t change much, she simply stared back at him, wholeheartedly just trying to figure out where the conversation was going. “One of our staff members confided in me when I came home that night that you weren’t looking all too well, I would hope that the night was okay once you made it to your room.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you got home that night?” She asked quietly, much more to herself than to him. He gave a short nod, the beam still running rampant on his face. Reina blinked in response then glanced down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The beach trip was the night I came home and saw the staff member open the door… right? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, when I got home that night,” he reiterated. “They said you seemed mentally unwell, perhaps you had been over exhausted for the day. Sora also spoke to me shortly after that and told me about the accusation you made against one of our staff members and I,” he continued. Reina looked back up at Saito, her heart beating rapidly against her chest. “I can assure you, there’s no conspiracy going on here. Nobody opened a door, or is trying to trick anyone,” he told her with that same smile, which now didn’t feel as comforting to her. Reina stared back at him, trying to process her thoughts. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I definitely saw it, I’m sure of it. I wasn’t unwell… but, I </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>was </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>tired. It had been a long day. But there’s no way I hallucinated that, right? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw the door open,” she tried to blurt out, but the words came out softer than she had hoped. She glanced down at the water cup, furrowing her eyebrows once more as she fixated on the glass, trying to walk through every part of that night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think sometimes we all see things that aren’t quite there,” he told her comfortingly, but she found no alleviation in his words. “I just wanted to make sure we could clear the air; I haven’t put any of our staff members up to any scheme. I would hope that you would believe me in that,” he told her. His words weren’t a question, rather, they were a statement. “I have no reason to lie.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And neither do I,” Reina reminded him softly, not looking up at him yet. “I know I saw him open the door,” she added, much more confident this time, even despite her second guessing. Saito shifted in his seat as he took a moment to think over his next words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Our staff members are not forbidden from opening the front door, we don’t have that heavy a hand on our employees,” he told her with a short laugh, resting his hand against her shoulder as Reina tried to process what he was saying. This time, his hand remained there, but Reina didn’t even seem to notice. </span><em><span>I guess that’s true - they normally leave out a side door to go home, but I guess there would be no reason to prohibit them from opening the front door, </span></em><span>Reina thought to herself.</span> <span>“Perhaps he needed a moment of fresh air, or was waiting on something or someone. Those are not crimes. I could discuss with this staff member again and see why exactly they needed the front door open, but I can assure you, it was not on my account.” Reina gave a short nod before preparing to stand, only the weight of his hand on her shoulder kept her in place. “I work a lot, as we’ve both mentioned, and the last thing I like is to return home to some fictitious drama going on,” he told her coolly. She finally glanced back over at him, and this time, the smile was gone. “I’ll be sure to discuss the possibility of a door open with our beloved staff member. In the meantime, however, I think it might be best if you told Sora that you may have seen incorrectly.” </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>saw</span>
  </em>
  <span> it,” she repeated, this time a little more frustrated. “Maybe you’re right and the staff member was just opening up the door for another reason, Sora wanted to know. She asked me to let her know if I saw anything, so I told her when I did. Like I said, I have no reason to lie, I find no joy in </span>
  <em>
    <span>causing drama</span>
  </em>
  <span> -” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then don’t,” he interrupted, the friendly facade slipping with his words. Reina’s breath hitched in her throat and she moved herself back just enough to make his hand fall from her shoulder and back onto the cushion separating them. Recognizing her malaise, he shifted back, giving her a gentle smile. “I understand what you may believe you have seen, but such assertions can do harm to couples and individuals. I know you’re young, so you’re likely not to understand the impact of circumstances such as these. With you being so young, and clearly a bit out of your sorts that night, I hold no ill will towards you,” he assured, inching closer once again. “I believe that Sora would feel much better if you told her that you may have seen the situation incorrectly, at least until I find the time to sort everything out.” Reina glanced back down at the water glass, unable to find the words to respond with. In hopes of avoidance, she started to trace the etch marks with her gaze. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe if I don’t say anything, the conversation will be over. Then I can go to my room and pretend like this never happened. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I have to tell you, I really appreciate you,” he told her, steering away from the confrontation. Reina’s eyes glanced over at Saito and she had only just noticed how much closer he had moved towards her from the start of the conversation. That guilt that had been sitting in the pit of her stomach was slowly morphing into a knot, only growing as time went on. “Sora always appreciates to have someone to talk to, and I think you’ve been able to fill that void for her perfectly. Especially since all of the children are out of the house,” he continued, giving her an even gentler smile. Even he could sense her disconcertment, and was trying to maneuver it away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I enjoy talking with her, too,” Reina confided after feeling it had been far too long without a response on her end. Saito beamed at her as he reached forward, setting his soda can back on the table and settling into the couch, attempting to get her to calm down with him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How long until I can leave? How long is long enough for a conversation with a man who essentially pays my bills before I can up and leave without it being rude? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sora never had any daughters so I think she’s liked seeing what that dynamic would have been like,” he mentioned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hardly have a mom, so I like it too,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to say, but held it in for so many obvious reasons. In lieu of the dark response, she just gave a little nod in return. “I believe she’s also felt lonely, so I’m appreciative that you’re here for her,” he added, practically just saying the same thing just in different words. Once again, Reina nodded, taking note of the looping conversation. She could feel her phone buzz again and decided that would be the perfect opportunity for her to be released from the conversation. She reached her hand into her pocket to grab it, but she came to a halt when she felt a cold hand land on the top of her thigh. “I understand her pain, I’ve been lonely, too.” Reina stayed completely still, her eyes fixated on the cup in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This can’t be happening,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, watching as a drop of condensation dripped down to the bottom of the cup, hitting the coffee table. She tried hard to figure out whether or not the hand on her leg was really there without actually looking. She felt like she could still feel her phone vibrating, though she knew it likely wasn’t, and she was just stuck in the current mindset of when it was - right before that hand reached her. As she felt his cold fingers inch up a little further and slightly squeeze against her skin, her ears began to ring as she sat completely stunned. When she felt one of his fingers subtly move underneath the hem of her shorts, her response was instinctual. She couldn’t keep her hand from flying from her pocket and towards Saito’s face, a slap echoing throughout the newly gloomy living room. His head snapped to the side upon impact and just remained that way, staring into the back of the couch. Reina jumped up and took a step back, staring at the man who remained seated and gazing elsewhere, the ringing in her ears still prominently taking over her senses. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This didn’t just happen,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself. She glanced down at the leg he had just touched before noticing that her hand was still upraised, as if prepared to have to do it again, but Saito still lingered in his same spot. Reina turned back up to Saito, and for a moment, her vision grew blurry as she fought vigorously against the tears swelling up and covering her view of the still man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re lonely, then go see your wife,” she hissed, though the venomous words were shaky and unsettled. The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them, and even he was taken aback by her response, yet he still didn’t turn his head to look in her direction. His face could have been made of stone for all she knew. Reina finally lowered her hand that was stinging slightly from the collision and took another tiny step back, just watching for his reaction. Her aching hand slid back into her pocket and gripped tightly onto her phone, prepared to use it however she needed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I need to call someone, I can. If I don’t have time, I’ll throw it at him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she decided, taking another little step back. Saito still didn’t move, though his eyes closed slowly. Reina noticed the pink cheek he was sporting, the color seemingly only growing more vivid from her smack. Cautiously, Reina turned around and began her venture towards the living room doors, trying to be as speedy as she could in spite of her quivering legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you misunderstood,” Saito finally said. His voice was darker than she had heard it previously which made her pause, clutching onto her phone even firmer. “I suggest that you reevaluate your actions and reactions. I’m not angry at you, you’re clearly a little out of sorts tonight as well, but let’s not turn this into another spurious event.” Reina stood still, facing away from the seated man. She listened intently, trying to hear any tiny shuffle or sound that would indicate movement from him, but heard nothing. Warily, she turned her head back to look at him. His head had turned to face her once more, and his expression could only be described as conflicting. Though the majority of his face was stone cold with a sense of anger that backed up his tone, Reina could see a look in his eyes that looked all too familiar; pure, fearful beseech. A beg to heed his words. For silence. A view that she had seen once before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand clearly,” she practically whispered, nevertheless, Saito heard her distinctively. “And I know what I saw.” Before another debate could be presented, Reina turned back towards the door and darted out as quickly as possible, making her way up the stairs and towards her room. Once she stepped into the room and snapped the door shut, she stood perfectly still, staring at nothing in particular. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m okay,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, forcing herself to take a deep breath. Just as the ringing in her ears had started to cease, her hand reached to the doorknob in preparation to lock it, but the smooth surface halted her falsely positive mentality. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to have a lock,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she practically pleaded, turning her entire body to face the door that no longer was acting as a comforting barrier. Her hands scampered across the entirety of the simple doorknob, slipping underneath it and through every side to attempt to find some secret, hidden away lock. Reina found no such thing. Slowly, she backed away from the door, eyes fixated on the knob. She made her way to her laptop, grazing her fingers across it as she passed it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll reach out to the host program. I’ll tell them what happened,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, but rapidly withdrew that idea. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wouldn’t be guaranteed to stay at Ouran. I don’t have another family to turn to in Japan like I did in France. There’s no guarantees with that plan. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She took a short peek at her laptop before looking back up at the doorknob, looking for any movement to it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have a window to jump out of if I need it. Or I’m sure I could outrun him - as long as I don’t get cornered away from the door,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she rationalized, thinking up every possible escape plan in her mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or as long as he doesn’t come in when I’m unaware. When I’m sleeping. My weakest point, and simultaneously, the inevitable.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her eyes darted back down to her laptop in a moment of contemplation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll email Connor - dad - but it’s early there. There’s no reason to worry him about something he can’t do anything about,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowing together in a gust of comprehension, the situation finally dawning on her completely. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no reason to worry him. This is nothing. Nothing even happened, maybe Saito was right, maybe I misunderstood,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she tried to coerce herself into believing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This isn’t like last time.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As the memory of Saito’s face flashed into her brain, her eyes charged back up at the door, worried that her short preoccupation from standing watch would have led her to miss his entry. But still, the door remained shut as she had left it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Connor doesn’t need to know about this. There’s no need, there’s nothing he can do. Mitsue asked me to keep her updated on if anything happened, maybe I should call her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, reaching her hand into her pocket to retrieve her phone, but found reasoning against that choice as well. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s late. She has to take care of the kids, there’s no reason to drag her and Aito into this. I’m fine, everything’s okay,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she justified, but kept a hold on the phone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tamaki. I know I can turn to Tamaki.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her eyes only left the door for a moment in order to pull her phone out, ignoring the two texts she had received from him to just get to the phone call quicker. She leaned her hip against her vanity as she pressed the phone to her ear, staring back at the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was afraid that my little kitten had gone to bed without saying goodnight,” Tamaki said upon answering her call, a clear beam on his lips. “I should have known that would be impossible. Tell me, my princess, did you make up your mind on whether or not you would grace me with your company on this beautiful night?” His immediate jump back into their banter actually soothed Reina down to her core, so much so that she had to take a quick moment before responding. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s so nice, so pure. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m willing to offer a trade deal; your homework answers, and in return, I will happily join you in bed for sleep the moment I get there,” she responded, trying to sound as cheery as possible. It wasn’t until she spoke that she had noticed just how numb she was, even with the dull shiver and looming panic that was riding through her body. Before he could respond, she pushed herself from the desk and began to pack up her school bag, adding in a few more items then she typically would have, such as her laptop and some extra clothes to store at his house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll agree to this trade, but I think I’m getting the better end of this bargain, by far. I was willing to tack on a few other sweeteners to close the deal,” he charmed back, still very much grinning. Reina swung the bag over her shoulder as she made her way to the door, pausing for just a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just need you,” she told him genuinely, finally reaching her hand out and twisting the doorknob, pulling the door open and taking a short step outside, still trying to brave herself to make it down the steps. “I wouldn’t turn down one of those glasses filled with water that you mentioned earlier, though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew it, everything is better in my humble abode,” he teased, his eyes twinkling, clearly disregarding how unusual it was that she got off the phone to get water yet was requesting more. Even though Reina couldn’t see those shining eyes, she could picture them, which made her take the first step down the hall and towards the stairs. “Perhaps it’s just the company, now that I think about it.” Reina started her walk down the stairs, clutching onto her phone tightly, but holding onto Tamaki’s voice even moreso, using him to ground herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps that’s the case,” she mused back, glancing around frantically. Her voice, on a surface level, sounded rationally calm compared to the intense feelings she was shoving away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t see anyone, which is great</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought, moving at a faster pace in hopes that the house would remain this empty in the time it took her to get to the front door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And just how long until I get to see my beautiful </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span>, exactly?” He pondered out loud, his voice as endearing and gentle as ever. Reina dashed towards the front door and threw it open, jumping outside to what she felt like was her safety. She had to hold in her sigh of relief, not wanting to provoke any questions on the other end of the call. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m leaving now, so as soon as I can get there,” she assured, glancing up at the sky above her as she stood in place, enjoying the fresh air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I await you impatiently, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I, you. See you as soon as I can,” she said softly, pulling the phone away from her ear and ending the call blindly, still staring up at the sky. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s so nice, so pure. There’s no reason for me to stress him out with my issues. I can handle this,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, completing her initial thought from earlier. Without much thought, she started to walk down the steps and towards the sidewalk, prepared to journey to the Suoh’s guest estate on her lonesome. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I can call the host program anonymously, pretend to be a parent and see if there are any openings near the Ouran area. Maybe that could work. Unless they need my information before doing a search. Maybe I can get someone in New York to do it for me. Maybe Kyoya already knows all this shit - but that feels a little too close to home. I’m sure he would be able to help me out immensely, but let’s nix that from my list of potential helpers in this operation. I don’t know how loyal he would be to secrecy. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Once again, she was ripped from her intensive thinking by the sound of someone calling for her. Her head whipped up as she clutched onto the straps of her backpack tighter, ready to run if necessary. Staring back at her was one of the Higurashi family drivers, a perplexed look spread across his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you need a ride, miss?” He asked, clear confusion in his voice mirroring the look on his face. Reina took a shaky breath, more than just a little relieved that it hadn’t been Saito calling for her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to act normal,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she reminded herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I act weird, I jeopardize leaving before I have everything figured out. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She plastered a little grin on her face as she shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <span>Yeah, sure,” she said, moving away from the sidewalk and back onto the driveway, up towards the car that the driver was standing next to. “Sorry. It just seemed so nice out, I thought I would take advantage of the weather.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>“That’s understandable,” he smiled, climbing into the driver’s seat and starting up the car. As Reina climbed into the back, she couldn’t help but smile gently as he rolled down all of the windows in the car. “This is a much safer way to enjoy that nice weather. I’m sure Sora wouldn’t appreciate me all too much if I allowed you to walk out there alone,” he mentioned coolly as he started to reverse. Reina’s eyes widened just a bit, but she turned to look out the window in hopes that he wouldn’t notice her new staggered expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate that as well, thank you,” she responded quietly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sora. I can’t leave her. I wasn’t just being nice when I told Saito that I enjoyed Sora. She’s helped me out a lot,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she remembered. The numbness that she had been trying to heighten had started to fade away with the mention of Sora and a few tears slipped to her eyes, but the wind blowing against her face helped to keep them from falling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t leave her alone, either. I couldn’t do that to her, not after everything. I have to figure out what I’m going to do, and I need to be strategic. Unfortunately, I probably really could benefit from Kyoya’s help, he seems like he would be ideal for this situation. I just can’t risk it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The only reason Reina had noticed that the car had stopped was because the wind was no longer assaulting her face. “Thank you,” Reina said quietly as she pushed the car door open, throwing herself out of the vehicle as quick as she could, then darted up the steps. Right on time, the front door swung open as she was approaching it, but she was less than startled with Tamaki standing in front of her. As he had started to do recently, he scooped Reina up in a bear hug, swinging her around in the process. Despite all of her conflicting emotions, the familiar action made her giggle as she wrapped her arms around him, as tightly as she could muster. With her face dug deeply into his chest, she prayed with every fiber in her that he wouldn’t feel the few tears that had slipped out against his skin. Luckily for her, they had been lost in the forceful swing he had given her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My night is officially a good one, now that my princess is here!” He declared, spinning her around one more time before setting her back on the ground, a wide spread grin across his face. “Come along, my Rei of sunshine, your glass of water and our bed await us.” Reina stared up at him before finally smiling, though her grasp on him never ceased. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He doesn’t need to know, at least not until I have everything handled. I can do that. I need to do that. I can’t risk losing this. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go to our bed then, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she responded softly, still watching him with a gentle smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not losing this. I’ll do whatever it takes. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: So here it is, a huge turning point in our story. I strive to make things feel realistic, and for that reason, I want to mention this now - if it feels as if I’m ignoring this situation in some of the upcoming chapters, it’s deliberate. I don’t want anyone to feel like I, the author, forgot about this event. But I have shown quite a few examples of Reina’s coping mechanism; avoidance. I don’t want this to feel like a forgotten plot point, but in line with Reina’s character, the mentions of this topic may not be talked about all too often until she eventually has to face it. I know sexual assault is a sensitive topic, that’s why I felt a need to point this out. I swear, it’s not being swept under the rug by me; just by Reina. Hahah. I hope you’re excited about where this is going to bring us, because I think I’ve set things up really nicely for the story. I would love love love to hear your feedback on this! Thank you so much for sticking with me, and I hope I’m doing you justice with this story. I’m part of the 81%, and the last thing I would want to do is inaccurately depict how a potential victim may react. :) Until next time, all. I hope this A/N made sense and if not, then sorry for the ramble haha. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0062"><h2>62. Setting Up Distractions (62)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Hey all! First of all, happy mother’s day. I’m not sure what my particular reader’s demographics are, but I do know that adults still read fanfic so if you’re one of them, and you’re a mom, happy mother’s day! </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fun fact, I am actually an adult with a child. Hahah. Feels weird to say that, especially since I write fanfics ?? but in case you were wondering what my age is, I’m 20, 21 next month! I’m always very curious about how old people are when I’m reading their stuff. :) </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve never mentioned this before it’s never been an issue, but I just wanted to clarify. Since Japan’s school schedule is a little weird being March-February, I decided that for the sake of making everything easier, we’re just going to pretend that all schools internationally do this schedule as well :) It’s only mentioned very briefly at the end of this chapter, but I wanted to clear up any possible confusion. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Sixty Two</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p><em><span>Maybe not the worst sleep of my life, but certainly one of them,</span></em><span> Reina thought to herself as she slowly eased herself out of Tamaki’s grasp, struggling immensely as she attempted to get out of the bed without waking up the slumbering man beside her. </span><em><span>I feel safe. I feel protected with him, that’s not the issue this time. I’m worried about what I’m going to do, and how I’ll feel after tonight. I feel comforted in this cocooned moment; I’m worried for the future me, who won’t have this luxury every night. </span></em><span>The majority of the night had been spent lying awake, seeking out her next move.</span> <span>As she successfully completed the strenuous task of getting out of the bed, she made her way quietly over towards her bag and pulled her laptop out. </span><em><span>I don’t even know what time it is,</span></em><span> she realized as she sat on the ground facing Tamaki and opened up her laptop, hoping that her position would shield the new light from his view. Her nose scrunched up when she saw that it was just past four in the morning. </span><em><span>Maybe I can take a sick day from school… and do what, go back to the Higurashi’s? </span></em><span>She glanced up at Tamaki’s bed, biting down on her lip. </span><em><span>I’m sure he would let me stay here if I pretended I was sick, but I know him. If I was sick, he would stay here with me. He doesn’t need to miss school for no reason. And then I run the possibility of my mom being called, or maybe Yuzuru would call Connor, and then maybe everyone would see right through me. Nevermind, I’ll just power through school today. I just need to figure out what I’m going to do. I can’t stay here forever; that’s not fair to Tamaki. And I’m sure he would get suspicious after the second or third day. </span></em><span>She unlocked her laptop and pulled up her search engine, staring back at it. </span><em><span>Maybe…</span></em><span> Swiftly, she searched up what the legal age to rent an apartment in Japan was. Her face fell when the majority of results read back to her as 20. As her eyes continued to scan the web pages, she saw more lost opportunities, making her hopes fall even lower. </span><em><span>The exceptions for getting a place to live under 20 are parental consent or proof of income. I have neither of those. Money, sure, but not a job of my own, except for the work I’m doing for Yuzuha under the table, </span></em><span>she sighed quietly, casting another glance at Tamaki, who remained peaceful in his dream. After another quick search about something completely off topic from her questionable living situation, she shut her laptop and stood slowly, scanning the dark room for her clothes. </span><em><span>No reason to just sit around here until Tamaki wakes up,</span></em><span> Reina thought to herself as she finally found the pieces she was looking for and started to pull them on. </span><em><span>I’ll probably need more than one coffee today, anyway. </span></em><span>She decided not to have a redo of her incident from earlier with her driver and just texted the Suoh family driver line that she was given access to. That decision was also heavily influenced on the fact that she wasn’t as comfortable walking out alone at such an odd hour. When she exited the house, the driver was sitting out front and was more than ready to go. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, just to the coffee shop,” she said with a short smile once she had climbed in. The driver nodded one before heading off in that direction. Reina glanced out the window, her vision fixated on the sky, which was just a tad more illuminated than it had been when she had first gotten to Tamaki’s in the first place. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t just stay in his house forever. That’s not fair to Tamaki - he offers it, but I’m more than sure he wouldn’t want me invading his space all of the time, even if he says that he does. Plus, I’m not sure if I could even handle that, either. I need some alone time as well. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She bit the inside of her cheek, suppressing a huff. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t know why I’m thinking about this so much, I’m fine, my current living situation is fine,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought again, switching back to the nonchalant mindset. The majority of her night, she had been flipping between believing that she could possibly still be in danger upon her return to the Higurashi house, to trying to railroad her mindset back into pushing past the severity of the situation. She sent a quick thanks to the driver as she climbed out of the car, heading up to the familiar double doors. Upon first glance, it was the same old coffee shop that she was used to. The strong aroma made her shoulders relax slightly, so Reina took a deep breath in to relish in that feeling. Once she opened her eyes once more, she realized how different it was. Since the sun hadn’t fully peeked out from the horizon yet which made the vibe in the shop much darker, though far from uncomfortable; in fact, she found it peaceful. Reina even peeked up at the ceiling to see if the lights were dimmed, but she could tell that they weren’t. Nobody else was in the establishment, not even an employee as far as she could tell. Just as she had debated leaving, Dai busted out from the backroom, arms full of supplies. “Are you always here alone so early in the morning?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The better question is why </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>here alone so early in the morning,” he shot back, letting out a short chuckle, but Reina could tell he wasn’t as cheery as he was trying to appear. When he turned to look at her, he initially noticed the lack of makeup that was clearly showing him how little amount of sleep she had. There were definite bags under her eyes, but he mostly noticed how her typically piercing green eyes rang dull, almost like she wasn’t fully coherent yet. “You don’t look so great,” he mentioned, setting down all of the items in his hands and started to stock up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s normal for me,” she brushed off with a joke as she moved further down the bar to continue conversation with him easier. Dai took another look at her, and after chalking it up to an issue about early rising, he brushed away his previous concern. “But you don’t look so hot either. You look a little stressed. Not a morning guy?” She asked curiously. He took a glance towards the backroom, then sighed gently as he continued on his tasks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It must just be a bad week for everyone. I don’t mind mornings, it’s just the morning after an employee randomly quits that sucks,” he confided, wiping his hands off on his apron then turned to Reina, who was frowning. “Are you just getting the usual?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that employee supposed to be here with you right now?” She asked, ignoring his question. Dai gave a little nod as he grabbed onto a cup, preparing to make her drink. “Are you done with all your tasks? I can help,” she offered instantaneously. He stared down at the cup in his hands, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to process what she had said. “I still have hours before school, I really don’t mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t work here though, I think that’s breaking some sort of ethic law,” he rationalized, letting out a short chuckle and shaking his head a bit as if the idea was super ridiculous. Reina took a short peek around, holding her hand over her eyebrows, pretending like she was on lookout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t see any ethical cops around here - I’m not sure that those even exist, so I’m sure I’m clear to help you,” she mused, moving over to the end of the counter to walk to the employee side. “Just tell me what I need to do. I can’t promise I’ll be great, but at least an extra set of hands,” she grinned. Dai blinked back, truly contemplating the option. He took a short look around the shop before sighing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re sure,” he said as he made his way towards the backroom, motioning her back. “It’s not normally this stressful. On top of the employee quitting, my night crew left the place a complete mess,” he mentioned as he brought Reina back towards the sinks, motioning the dishes that were overflowing from both sides. Reina furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of it, then glanced over at Dai, who was still staring at the sinks in frustration. “You have no obligation to do any of those, but those are probably what I need help with most right now.” There was a very clear defeat in his voice, and it pulled Reina right out of her self pitying trance. She bolted over to the sinks with a wide grin on her face, hands planted firmly against her hips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have them done before you can even think about them again! By the end of this, you’ll think I’m better than all of your employees combined!” She beamed at the confused man in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is what I need! A task! Something to keep my mind off of my life. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dai rethought his initial decision, but after taking another brisk glance at the pile of dishes, he tossed her an apron with a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not too hard of a goal, if we’re being honest,” he said, just as Reina threw the apron on and turned towards the sink, beginning to work diligently. He watched her for another moment before slowly nodding. “I’ll be out front if you need anything, or if you want to quit on me,” he continued. The only response he got was a swift nod, though Reina was so stuck on her work that she had hardly heard him. “The next shift comes in at six and I shouldn’t need much more help after that,” he added, trying to give her as many chances to quit as he could before he departed. This time, Reina didn’t even respond as she made her way through the piles. Dai took a deep breath before nodding to himself slowly and turning on his heel, heading back out to make sure there were no more early morning customers that needed tending to. Reina was quite vigorous in her work, trying to not to pause for a single moment in order to allow her tunnel vision to continue on as it was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No breaks means no thinking,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she decided, making herself move even faster. It only took about twenty minutes for her to finish the job, though now a large stack of dishes were precariously sitting in the single drying rack, placed like an advanced version of tetris. She took a moment to admire her work before glancing into the sink. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kinda dirty,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she noticed, peeking at some of the mess. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No way of telling whether or not I did that, so I should clean it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she rationalized, grabbing the sponge again and starting to heartily scrub down the surrounding area. After it was clean enough for her liking, she took a short look around the backroom. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not sure what I’m really allowed to touch, but I need </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>something</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> to do while these dishes dry,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she decided, moving across the room as she allowed her eyes to scan everything. She noticed some items scattered across the desk in the back, such as sleeves of cups and some bags of caramel that sat right next to squeezable containers labeled ‘caramel’. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That seems self explanatory enough,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself as she grabbed one of the flimsy caramel bags, cutting the end of it with a pair of scissors nearby and began to fill up the containers. Once that task was completed, Reina could feel the adrenaline pumping through her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is definitely what I needed, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she beamed. She scooped up each of the containers before heading out towards the front. Just like earlier, it was only her and Dai in the store. He heard the back room door open, but didn’t glance up as he continued his work on grinding coffee beans and throwing them into the brewers. “I’ve caught up a lot, it’s been pretty slow out here so I think I could probably finish the rest of those dishes,” he called to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m done with those,” she informed him, moving to an empty counter so she could set down the caramels. “I wasn’t sure if you needed these done, but I kind of just did them,” she admitted, now a bit sheepish as she realized that she may have messed something up. Dai couldn’t even begin to process the caramels yet, instead he looked up at her with furrowed eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You already finished all of those dishes?” He asked, clearly not fully believing her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, kind of,” she added, glancing down at her hands. “They’re drying. Plus I don’t really know where everything goes, but once they’re closer to being dry I can run back and make myself more acquainted to the backroom so I can find everything’s place,” she offered, finally looking back up at Dai. He stared at her for another moment before holding his finger up to her, telling her to hold on as he rushed to the back. After a second, he emerged from the doors, just as shocked as he was before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’d you do all of those so quickly?” He asked, getting a weak shrug in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I used to have my night to do dishes for a family of seven,” she recalled from when she lived with the LaRue family. “I learned to move quickly so I could actually still have time to myself,” she added when all that he met her with was a stare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you wanna work here?” He asked with a little laugh, shaking his head, then turned to the caramel bottles. “Thank you for doing these, that’s another big help. I won’t keep you any longer.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind working here,” she responded with a grin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Something to keep me distracted, this is perfect.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dai’s eyes went wide as he looked back up at her. “What times did your employee normally work?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, she worked weekday mornings, but I was mostly joking,” he told her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Don’t you go to that rich kid school? I mean, no offense, but I never thought I would be employing a student from that school.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do in fact go to ‘that rich kid school’,” she confirmed with a little laugh. She peeked behind Dai and began to move towards the back room, deciding that the dishes were likely dried at this point. With a morbid curiosity, he followed her. “You guys open at 4:30, right? So what, you get here around 4?” She asked for confirmation. He gave a slow nod as she started to pick up one dish at a time, glancing around the room until she found a spot for them. “I wouldn’t mind working from four to seven every weekday morning. I’m sure that the other girl worked a longer shift, but since I have school, seven would probably be my cutoff.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate the offer, don’t get me wrong,” he prefaced, grimacing just a bit as she picked up speed on the task at hand, working through the stack flawlessly. “And I would love that, you seem like a hard worker - surprisingly - but, how old are you?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>He would need my I.D. in order to employ me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself, trying to contain her itch to start grinding her teeth prematurely. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can handle this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, seventeen,” she responded, biting the inside of her cheek as she realized where he was going with his point. “But I can just say I’m eighteen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t work like that,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Law says anyone under eighteen can’t work before five in the morning. So that wouldn’t really work, it would be illegal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, technically,” she started, trying to figure out a way around this one. When she found no clear path of lying her way through it, she sighed and decided to tell the truth. “All of it would be illegal. I’m here on a school visa, not a work visa, so I’m not even technically allowed to work right now. Plus I’m supposed to get permission from my school before working which I didn’t want to do,” she added, looking over at Dai as soon as she finished setting the last dish on the designated shelf. “But you could just use me as a bandaid! Until you find someone else to hire on as a replacement. You shouldn’t stress yourself by trying to take on all of these tasks on your own,” she beamed, moving back to the desk and scooping up the sleeves of cups that she had left behind on her first trip to the front of the shop. Dai snatched a few other required items off the shelves before following after Reina, who so clearly was on a mission to prove her worth. “You don’t even have to pay me as much as you pay everyone else, I don’t mind below minimum wage,” she continued, unpacking the cups and placed them in their assigned places, finding that fairly easily since she had seen Dai pull out cups for her from that particular spot so many times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well really quick, do you even know what minimum wage is here?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow as she gave a tiny shrug. “What you were to make in a week probably wouldn’t even cover the money you left behind last time - which, I did notice, by the way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not really sure what money you’re referring to, so I’m going to bypass that,” Reina lied as she picked up one of the rags that was lingering on the counters and started to wipe down the counters. “But sometimes working has less to do with money and more to do with -” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Distractions, occupying my time, not being able to think, making myself so exhausted that I’ll have a better chance at sleeping. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Experience,” she finished after a moment of thought. He cocked his head to the side. Reina grinned, proud of the reason she had come up with so quickly on the spot. “Like you said, I’m a rich kid school girl. Sure, that looks </span>
  <em>
    <span>cool</span>
  </em>
  <span> on a resume, but how often do you think those students have work experience? Essentially none. It would give me a one up,” she beamed, finally looking up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not too sure if I’m comfortable with it, pretty girl. I’m sorry,” he frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, what if I got a work visa? And maybe you could just schedule me at five, but who's to say I can’t wander in a little early and help out?” She suggested, setting the rag down and turning to face him, arms crossed. The grin hadn’t left her face quite yet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A work visa and a job would give me the proof of income that I need,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she realized, getting a little more excited at the idea of it. Dai bit the inside of his cheek, still trying to think of an answer when they were interrupted by a customer walking into the shop. His attitude shifted instantaneously as he turned to greet the older man, sending him a quick wave and a grin. “Welcome in!” Reina called, mirroring Dai’s wave, trying once again to prove herself as a great asset. Dai peered over at Reina for just a moment before motioning her over with him to the register. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great to see you this morning, sir,” Dai grinned at the man, who nodded in return as he finally made it to the register. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As always,” he responded groggily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I know your order, but we’re doing a little bit of training today,” Dai said cautiously, motioning Reina towards the cash register. Reina seemed just a bit flustered as she walked in front of it, but the grin never left her face. “Could you go ahead and let this pretty girl know what it is that you like to get?” Dai asked, turning to grab a cup and began to make the regular’s normal beverage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A green tea,” the man said with a little nod. Reina stared down at the register, scanning every section to try and find the correct button. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good choice, heh,” she smiled uncomfortably, trying to buy herself an extra second of time. “I’m guessing hot, right?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>How the hell is this register so old looking? I thought they had only been open a few years? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Reina thought to herself, squinting down at the buttons. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, hot, the only way to drink tea correctly,” the man confirmed, sending a wink over to Dai who had already completed the drink and sat it down on the counter in front of the older gentleman. Reina let out a short laugh, trying to remain friendly for good customer service, but was still stuck. Just as Dai was about to end her torture, a tiny ‘aha’ came from Reina’s mouth and she pressed down on the correct button, a wide grin on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“275 yen!” Reina announced, peeking up at Dai who gave her a quick thumbs up after verifying that she had indeed clicked the correct item. She took a step back from the register as the man began to retrieve his money, allowing Dai to take over on the actual monetary exchange. He cast her a questioning glance, but stepped forward and completed the purchase anyway, which Reina watched intently. Once they both thanked the man, and Dai told him that he would see him tomorrow, the man was on his way and gone once more, leaving them alone again. “Sorry. I didn’t want to touch the money, I’m not sure if you trusted me enough for that part.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>And I didn’t know how to actually open the register,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina duly noted to herself. He furrowed his eyebrows, crossing his arms once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure why I wouldn’t trust you with money considering you’ve left me more than enough around the cafe,” he mentioned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Reina sang, shrugging a bit. “But see? I was able to help out that guy. And just like the nickname you call me, I’m a pretty girl! Having me up on the register in the mornings may not be all too bad for business,” she teased. Dai let out a short huff, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could probably realistically bypass one or two things, but all three? I can’t have you employed here without a visa, without acknowledging your school, and during illegal hours. Under the table or not,” he decided. Reina bit the inside of her cheek but gave a little nod, preparing to negotiate. “Honestly, I don’t feel all too comfortable with overlooking any of those things. Maybe we’ll talk once you’re eighteen and we’ll go over this again. Most of my employees are college students, and with summer break coming up, I only have a few weeks until then, and then they all can be scheduled at any time. I should hopefully have another employee by then, too. I’ll be okay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Reina huffed, turning around and grabbing a sharpie from beside the register. She ripped a piece of receipt paper off and jotted down her number. “But I’ll be out of town during part of summer break. Which means it would be perfect timing for me to help you out until I leave. If you change your mind, just text me,” she said, turning back to Dai and handing him the slip of paper. “I can try and figure out how long it would take me to get a work visa, and see how I would go about asking my school for permission. And like I said earlier, you don’t have to schedule me before five, but maybe I’ll just get here a little bit earlier then I’m actually scheduled for,” she noted, grinning up at Dai. He stared down at the slip in his hands before sighing softly, giving a little nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll think it over today. Maybe you should try to look into those options in case I do change my mind,” he told her as she started to pull the apron off of herself. She nodded back at him, handing the apron back over to him. “Just your usual then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and maybe add in a hot coffee with cream,” she said, glancing back at the front door. “I made that driver sit there for so long,” she said, just remembering the Suoh staff member who was still patiently waiting for Reina. Dai let out a little huff of laughter, shaking his head as he started to make her drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m still in shock that someone who has a personal driver is arguing with me about wanting to work at </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> coffee shop. It’s going to be famous soon,” he said teasingly. “My humble little cafe.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It looks like you’re warming up to the idea,” Reina sang as she moved to the register, starting to search for the drinks. She figured how to ring in the normal coffee pretty quickly, but had a little more of a struggle when trying to figure out how to ring in her own, which was a bit more complicated. After a short battle with the outdated machine, she finally figured it out and pulled some cash out of her pocket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not paying,” he called over his shoulder as he finished up her drink, but the sound of the register opening up made him sigh. “You don’t pay when you work, all employees get their drinks for free at the beginning and end of their shifts.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, so I’m an employee?” She mused, pushing her cash into the register and not bothering to pull the change out. He peered behind his shoulder at her once more, this time with more of a glare, but she didn’t notice as she slammed the register closed and scooped up both of the drinks. “Good to hear! Just text me and let me know when I should come in for some formal training. I think I learned a lot today, but I’m eventually going to have to help you with these drinks,” she mentioned, giving him a quick wink then dashed off towards the front door. “See you at my next shift!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re making me like this idea less and less!” He called back. Just as Reina pushed the doors open, she peeked behind to give him an innocent grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, boss,” she mused, giving him one more wink before rushing out towards the Suoh car. As she pulled the door open, she leaned across to hand the driver the coffee cup. “I’m so sorry,” she said genuinely before climbing all the way into the car and slamming the door shut. “Hopefully that can make up for it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind, thank you for the drink,” the driver responded with a smile, but wasted no time in exiting the parking lot. Reina noticed that her leg was bouncing slightly, but deciphered that it wasn’t from nervousness or anxiety. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s adrenaline,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she realized. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to be working. I hardly even thought during that time. No thoughts in my head, just work. Even if Dai won’t take me in, I’m sure someone will. I can find somewhere to work, no problem, I’m useful. I’m sure I’m useful. Or, I can make myself useful somehow. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She forced herself to take a deep breath, about to slump into the seat to relax, but they pulled up to the Suoh Estate before there was any time. With a thank you and another heartfelt apology, Reina climbed out of the car and started to head up the steps towards the house. For the third time in the last twenty four hours, someone called out her name. She skidded to a stop, slowly turning in the direction that her name had been called from. Yuzuru was walking from the main estate, giving her a little wave as he approached. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, good morning,” he said with a smile. “It seems a bit early for you to be coming over. Do you and Tamaki have some more riveting endeavors planned for this morning?” He asked as he finally met her. Reina let out an uncomfortable laugh, scratching the arm that was holding tightly onto the coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not exactly. I came over late last night, I just went on a quick coffee run,” she told him, trying not to grimace at the ‘quick’ part. He nodded softly before continuing up the steps, motioning for her to follow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like to make my way over here fairly early in the morning to start on some work, but I could enjoy a cup of tea for a few minutes if you wanted to sit with me in the dining room,” he mentioned. Reina bit the inside of her cheek, silently following him inside. When she didn’t respond, he glanced back at her, a little smile on his face. “You don’t need to, though. You’ll already have to see me at breakfast, I don’t want to take too much of your time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“No, I’ll gladly join you!” She added quickly, planting a quick grin on her face. </span><em><span>It just felt a little bit like deja vu, is all, </span></em><span>she thought, though she tried to shake away any of the thoughts that were trying to make their way back to the forefront of her mind.</span> <span>His soft expression somehow grew even softer as he nodded, guiding her towards the dining room. One of the early morning staff members happened to be passing through and when she noticed the duo’s arrival, she gave a short bow, and retreated off to grab Yuzuru’s normal drink which he typically took in his office. Yuzuru moved to the other side of the table where he normally sat, whereas Reina took one of the two seats that her and Tamaki usually resided in across from him. She set the coffee cup on the table then reached for her pocket to grab her phone, checking the time before Yuzuru could actually sit in his seat. </span><em><span>5:42. </span></em><span>“It seems early to start on your work,” Reina noted. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like to work through a lot of my day with many breaks,” he told her, smiling gently as the staff member as she returned with his drink. “I have to talk to a lot of people in different timezones, so it’s much easier to be spread out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” Reina nodded, giving the woman a smile and a quick wave as well before she completely departed from the room to take on more of her daily tasks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to check in with you,” Yuzuru said. Reina glanced back up at him, a bit surprised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm? About what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“About how you’re doing. You know, with everything happening in your life,” he said casually. He took a quick sip of his tea, but after realizing it hadn’t fully steeped all the way yet, he set it back down on the table and clasped his hands together, leaving his full and undivided attention on Reina. She blinked back at him, trying to figure out what he knew. </span><em><span>How would he possibly know? </span></em><span>Unrecognized by Reina, her leg started to bounce again, this time not from adrenaline, and Yuzuru noticed the tight grip she had on the coffee cup.</span> <span>“I feel bad that I haven’t been able to chat with you one on one, I’ve been meaning to since we had that meeting with you at the school after the trip. How are you feeling now that time has passed?” He asked. Yuzuru watched as the majority of her anxiety seemed to fly from her body, and Reina even let out a soft breath of relief that she believed had gone undetected. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay! I told you all that day I would be able to laugh at it, and now I already think it’s kind of funny,” she told him quickly, throwing a smile on her face as quick as she could, though Yuzuru noticed that her grip on the cup hadn’t ceased yet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Change the subject,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she pleaded to herself. “Can I ask you a question?” She asked him, getting a nod back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Quick. Think of a question. Any question. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Do you know about how long it takes to acquire a work visa here in Japan?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s quite the detour from our conversation,” he noted, letting out a short chuckle as he furrowed his eyebrows. He realized that his tea was probably ready, so he took a moment to pull the teabag out from the mug, allowing Reina some more time to give him a real answer to his initial question. When the only response he was given was another uncomfortable laugh and some more leg bouncing, he decided that the answer he received was probably the only one he was going to get. “It could take a few months. Do you have a friend who's looking to move here?” He asked her curiously. Reina’s shoulders dropped significantly and she bit the inside of her cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. Maybe Yuzuha would be willing to book me on more jobs. Or maybe I can help her out a little bit more with advertising and such, she seemed to like me enough. Plus, she sends me an odd job here and there, so maybe I can just ask for more work. That still doesn’t help me on the proof of income thing, but I can figure out something.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no, nothing like that,” she smiled back, taking a drink of her coffee. It wasn’t until she lifted the cup from the tabletop that she realized what a strong hold she had on it, but when she tried to release some of that strength, she could feel the cup shaking slightly in her hand, therefore she decided that the white knuckles were probably a better look. He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for any sort of followup. Once she realized that he was holding out for her to elaborate, she gave him a sheepish smile. “I’ve just been looking for something to occupy some of my freetime.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you believe a job is the answer to that?” He asked, a singular eyebrow still cocked. Reina gave a short nod, taking another sip of her coffee to buy her more free time to think. “Have you thought of joining a club or sport?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel like I have enough of school extracurriculars with theatre, but since that’s during class hours, I’m just looking elsewhere to broaden my horizons in life. None of the clubs particularly interest me to be honest with you, and I wouldn’t say I’m the most graceful person in the world, so I’ve never really been too good at sports,” she explained, getting tiny nods throughout her clarification. “You and I are both aware that I most likely won’t have anything to do with Lux, and even if they were to squeeze me in somewhere, I’m not really betting on it. I’d love to get my foot in the door in an industry while I’m young so I may have a better chance of climbing the ranks at an acceptable age - if I were to decide to stay wherever I land. If not, then I’ll have some experience under my belt.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t really plan to stay in the modeling or coffee industry for my whole life, so these are just pitstops,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself, even though she was pretty happy with the answer she had given Yuzuru. The gears in his head were beginning to turn as well. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve been thinking about the possibility, but I didn’t think it would happen this early on,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, trying to piece together everything. When Yuzuru didn’t respond, Reina couldn’t help but continue talking. “Having something else to do would probably keep me out of trouble, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think any of the shenanigans that you and Tamaki get yourselves into are anything more than harmless. Are you getting yourself into real trouble now?” He asked her, the concern of a father laced in his voice. She realized her mistake after hearing his words, so she shook her head rather quickly, that nervousness slowly streaming back into her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, no, but trouble can always be found if you get bored enough,” she said with a little laugh, trying to soothe any fire she may have caused. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know what happened last time something like this went down. A job in the last few years might have saved me from some shit, now that I think about it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I have an artistic outlet that I use to cure some of my boredom, but since it’s such a hobby, I don’t always turn there first. And just sitting in my room each night has made me rather bored, so I’d prefer trying to be productive with my time as opposed to possibly being self destructive.” Yuzuru finally gave her the understanding nod that she had been waiting for, so she shut herself up, figuring that she had done a good enough job at fixing her last words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, your situation is a little bit different. Since you already have a school visa, it would just be transferring that to a combination visa. That would take much less time than I had initially thought. Though, you might be underestimating how much work it would be to take on a job,” he gently told her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think my offer may have a heavy workload, as well. Especially for a student,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought. “Are you sure you would be able to keep up on your studies while also maintaining a job?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty certain that I could. I always felt like learning a language in a year was a job on it’s own, and I was always able to achieve that on top of my school work,” she admitted genuinely. “Plus, it wouldn’t be too many hours. Four to seven isn’t too bad,” she grinned, before realizing her mistake and practically throwing her drink back up to her mouth to shut herself up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did I say the times? That’s illegal. I wasn’t supposed to say four. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luckily for her, Yuzuru assumed she had meant in the afternoons. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And have you thought at all about what exactly you might want to do for work right now?” He asked, still trying to wrap his brain around the opportunity sitting in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said, then bit down on the plastic straw. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wasn’t supposed to say that either! Tamaki would freak if he knew I was trying to work as a barista, and even worse, at Dai’s shop. I would have to keep that from him, too. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I mean, no, honestly - not really. Just something different, I guess. I haven’t put too much thought into it.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Other than the last few hours, of course. That’s not technically a lie. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You speak Dutch, correct?” He asked. Reina furrowed her eyebrows before nodding a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm. English, Italian, French, Dutch, Japanese, and a little bit of Spanish,” she listed off, casting aside her confusion surrounding the sudden shift in conversation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s what I need,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuzuru nodded to himself. Before he could continue, Reina thought of another issue that she figured was in the same ballpark of their previous talk. “Would I need the school’s permission to work?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but so long as you are applying for jobs in more - elite fields, it wouldn’t be an issue. Ouran isn’t exactly welcoming to the idea of any of our students working as cashiers or bagboys, if that makes sense. If you’re looking for a job that could possibly turn into a career, we have no issue with it,” he explained. Reina nodded slowly, but she could feel her spirits crumbling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So if Dai is requiring that I get the school’s permission, then that’s a no go. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I wouldn’t worry about it, since I’m sure you would be looking at more advanced positions, anyhow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” Reina reluctantly agreed after a moment of silence. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not sure dish washing duty is considerably advanced,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she internally sighed. Yuzuru glanced down at his drink, trying to decide whether or not to speak his thoughts out loud quite yet. Before he could make that final decision, a sound could be heard from outside the double doors. Neither Yuzuru nor Reina had any question on what - or who - was making the noise. After a short second, the door creaked open and Tamaki poked his head inside. Once he saw Reina, any trace of worry on his face dissipated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My kitten is still here!” He announced, obviously just to himself. Reina subtly grabbed the mostly empty coffee cup from the table and slid it down between her thighs, holding it in place there. Although Tamaki took no notice of it, Yuzuru surely did. “I was worried you had run away, leaving behind all of your beloved items in my possession,” he teased, sending Reina a charming wink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could never!” She told him, watching as he planted both of his hands on his hips confidently. As usual, he was only wearing pajama bottoms, but Reina was sure that Yuzuru would send him away to get fully dressed as he would do any other time Tamaki would parade around the house shirtless. After acknowledging Yuzuru’s existence, his smile faltered only slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning to you both! You haven’t started breakfast without me, have you? I thought I woke up early enough,” he noted, looking between the pair. Reina sent him a large grin, fluttering her eyelashes at him as he remained in the doorway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could never,” she swore again, making his own beam return in full force. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And we won’t even think about beginning any meals until everyone in this house is fully clothed,” Yuzuru slyly slid in. Tamaki’s radiating pride was stunted as he blinked back, before his head hung down and a little sigh escaped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” he nodded, before glancing back up at Reina, who was just wearing her casual clothing that she had brought with her the night before. “My sweet princess hasn’t changed into her uniform, so I won’t either!” He decided, no longer flustered with the idea of putting on his entire get up so early in the morning. Before he rushed off, he blew Reina a swift kiss, which she caught just to entertain him. Once he was gone, she remained gazing at the doorway, a small smile on her lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s why I need to find a job, so I can find a place to live, so I can stay here. I can’t leave him.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reina, are you keeping secrets?” Yuzuru asked bluntly, which made her eyes go wide and almost made her jump out of her chair. She turned back to Yuzuru in a new state of shock to catch him smirking in her direction. “Is there a reason that you hid your cup?” She swallowed before glancing down at the plastic cup still sandwiched between her thighs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that,” she said with a little laugh, pushing aside her prior concern. “I think he would feel a bit left out if he knew I went to go get coffee without him since he was sleeping, but I already figured I would want more than one cup, so he doesn’t need to know that when we go together this morning it won’t have been my first time there today,” she told Yuzuru, making herself relax. He nodded towards where the cup was, though he couldn’t see it through the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re done with it, I can hide it on the chair over here,” he told her, eyes twinkling. “White lies never hurt anyone.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cheers to that,” she mused, taking a final drink from the cup, then handed it over to Yuzuru who slid it onto the chair next to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>White lies never hurt anyone, which is why I can’t feel bad about not telling Tamaki about any of this stuff, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, feeling better with the accidental validation</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yuzuru once again considered mentioning his idea to Reina, but in the distance, he could already hear Tamaki scurrying back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you come see me sometime this week and I can help you with the visa transfer? I’m in this house until about four each day before returning for dinner, but the staff can call me over at any time that works best for you,” he offered, much to Reina’s surprise. She gave him a short nod just as Tamaki pushed his way back into the dining room, still sporting his pajama pants but now had an additional article of clothing on. Reina couldn’t help but beam when she noticed that he had thrown on one of her tee shirts. Upon Tamaki’s arrival, Yuzuru halted their conversation, and was glad that Reina seemed to take the hint in not taking it any further either. Tamaki took his seat next to Reina, and his hand didn’t leave her knee until their breakfast finally came out. Since they all partook in small talk prior to the food arriving, their meal was much shorter than it normally was. Yuzuru stood up after wiping his mouth, giving the couple a warm smile. “You two had better go get ready for school if you’re planning to make any pit stops on the way,” he mentioned, sending Reina a small eyebrow raise that almost made her giggle, but she suppressed it in order to not raise any of Tamaki’s red flags. Tamaki was swift in jumping out of his seat and holding his hand out to Reina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Yuzuru,” Reina smiled over at their elder before taking Tamaki’s hand and standing up alongside him. Once Yuzuru left the room, Tamaki turned to her and they began to walk together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why were you down here so early?” He asked her curiously. Reina’s head turned over to look at him, and he was staring back down at her, a perturbed look glimmered across his eyes. “You’re not still having trouble sleeping, are you?” She contemplated her response, probably for far too long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little, but I’m okay. I don’t mind early mornings,” she smiled back, seemingly not easing him at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was getting better,” he recalled, frowning softly as he pushed open the bedroom door, then placed his hand on the small of her back to gently guide her in. “What time did you wake up, my angel?” Reina tried hard to debate her answer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What time did I wake up? Like, the first time, or the twentieth? Or, what time did I finally give up and just get out of bed? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure,” she finally decided, moving across the room to retrieve her uniform from her designated drawer. Tamaki watched after her, just standing in place as she started her morning routine silently. When the gaze eventually started to bore into her, she turned to look at him, giving him a shrug and a half smile. “I’m not too tired, I’m alright.” She turned back to her tasks, beginning to undress in order to change into the uniform dress. He made his way over to her quietly, still just watching as she continued on with the chore. After she had stepped into the dress and pulled it on, he used one of his fingers to gently guide her gaze back up at him. The expression staring back at her was the softest that she had seen from him in a while. Although he didn’t fully understand, it was such a comforting feeling, almost as if he actually did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” he told her softly, his finger never leaving it’s spot underneath her chin. “I’m a really good listener.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you now?” She asked him, a hint of playfulness laced through her voice in attempts to shy away from the upcoming request that she knew was coming, but he didn’t mirror her joking tone at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am,” he confirmed, sending her a smile that matched the softness occupying the rest of his expression. “And I think you could benefit from that. I’d like it if you talked to me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Tamaki added, moving his finger from her chin to cup her cheek entirely. “You have my undivided attention whenever you want it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate that,” she told him, jumping up on her tiptoes just for a moment to give him a peck on the cheek. “But we’re going to be late for school if we do anymore talking.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s still early,” he reminded her, trying to coerce her into speaking, but the attempt failed. She moved from his grasp and gave her makeup bag a little shake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still have things to do, and you’re not even dressed. Another time,” she told him, giving him a quick grin before turning away and heading off to finish her routine. He grimaced for just a moment as he glanced down at his casual attire, now wishing that he had jumped the gun initially and just put his uniform on instead. When he looked back up, he caught Reina’s reflection for a split second. On the surface, she looked fine, which made him relax a bit. But what he couldn’t see was that she was biting down on her tongue just about as hard as she could without really hurting it, wondering how long she would be able to keep her secrets hidden. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Another time, my mysterious little angel. I’ll hold you to it,” he called out as he ran off towards his closet, off to grab his clothes for the day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you will,” she called back, still trying to keep up the teasing charade, but worry was weighing heavily on her mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sure he will. I underestimated how hard it would be to lie to him. White lies or not. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They each continued to get ready on their lonesome, and once they were each finished and Reina took the opportunity to copy the assignment from the night before, they were off. As they walked down the stairs together, hand in hand, Tamaki turned to her once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgot to ask, what were you and my dad talking about before I came downstairs?” He asked her. Reina peered up at him, thinking about it for a moment before shrugging. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing too interesting. Just why I was awake so early, and about his work schedule. Like why he was coming to this house so early,” she explained vaguely. Tamaki shot a grin down at her while pushing the front door open for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good, I was hoping that he wasn’t interrogating you or anything. I would hate for you to feel uncomfortable in </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> home,” he mentioned, emphasizing the ‘our’ as much as he could without it sounding too off. Reina mirrored his grin, then turned to the car, that smile soon falling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Our home. Maybe I should just ask him if I can stay here,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she contemplated, before taking one more peek up at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No. He’s just being nice. I can do this, on my own. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Reina’s phone buzzed at her side in the middle of class, she wasn’t sure what to expect from it. While Mr. Goto was turned towards the board, Reina pulled the phone into her lap and peeked down at it, quickly unlocking it and taking a look. An unknown number had sent her a text, and after only a second of looking at the text, she figured out who it was easily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dai: One of my employees called to let me know she has strep throat. With two people down, I can’t think about laws right now. If you’re still open to it, I could use you at least until summer break. We can start training once you’re off school today. Just let me know. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I knew he would come around,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought triumphantly. She tucked her phone back at her side and looked back up at the board, clasping one hand over the other on top of her desk. Her eyes averted over slightly to glance at the back of Tamaki, a little smile on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can do this. It’s coming together. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her training was vigorous. Not only was she thrown into a small, compact space with a bunch of strangers, but Dai was quick with his work. After only a few minutes of taking orders, Reina had gotten familiar enough with the register that Dai felt she was prepared enough. Drinks, however, were a different story. He was showing her the ropes of every aspect of the job. Everywhere from grinding and making bulk coffee, all the way down to the tedious, specific lattes that were required to be made perfect. On top of all of that, Reina was trying hard to avoid anyone that looked like an Ouran student. On the third time of her ducking down behind the counter after mistaking a woman in a yellow sundress as a girl from her school, Dai sighed and ducked down with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not a uniform,” he informed her simply. Reina gave yet another sheepish nod as she started to stand, but he stopped her. “Eventually someone’s going to see you here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so. Most people have their orders picked up in the morning by staff members. I’m only on edge because it’s after school, like in case anyone is here to hang out,” Reina explained. “Plus, I’ll be out of here by seven in the mornings which is before most students even leave their house. After training today, I should be clear,” she grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Staff members,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he scoffed, shaking his head a little bit at the idea of it. Reina let out a short laugh, then stood up fully again. “I’m hoping it’s only today that you’ll need to be trained. We still have a lot of drinks to go through.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, can’t you just train me on some of the opening tasks instead?” Reina asked curiously. He cast a look in her direction, asking for elaboration. “I feel like pushing me through the whole menu is going to be strenuous for both of us, especially if you don’t plan to keep me long term. Which is a mistake, by the way,” she added, getting a little eye roll from Dai. “But you could just show me the little things you need to do before opening, like setting up. You know I’m good at doing dishes, and I can work the register well enough if you needed help out here, but you could just designate me to those other boring tasks and stick yourself out here to work with the customers.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not normally how we do it,” he told her. After realizing that his employees were trying to work around the chatting pair, Dai motioned her towards the backroom as he began to walk. “I train everyone on everything, I don’t like to leave any stones unturned.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but it’s kind of pointless for me to be here every morning if I’m only half good at everything. Doesn’t it make sense to perfect me on one set of skills so I can truly help out, as opposed to having to run behind me and fix all of my mistakes after my solid four hours of training on the whole store?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, maybe - hey, phone away, I’m going to lock it away again,” he interrupted once they entered the backroom. The college aged girl let out a loud huff, then shoved the phone back into her pocket, avoiding eye contact with Dai. “You have a break soon, your texts will still be there,” he called after the girl as she stormed back out of the backroom. With a loud sigh, he collapsed into the chair in front of the desk, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why is it so hard to find </span>
  <em>
    <span>legal</span>
  </em>
  <span> employees? They’re all just…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hopeless?” Reina tried, giggling softly to herself as she leaned against one of the fridges, her arms crossed. Dai cracked his eyelids open again to peek at her, then shut them again abruptly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could say that,” he responded quietly. Reina laughed again, shaking her head just a bit as she watched the disheveled man sink lower into the chair. “I was going to incompetent assholes. You’re lucky that your shifts won’t overlap with any of them.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, instead I just have to deal with you,” she teased. “But let’s get back on track - “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Back to business, huh? Got somewhere to be?” He joked, finally regaining some of his mental energy back as he sat back up in the chair. “Does the heiress have busy plans on this fine Thursday afternoon?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just some rich kid homework,” Reina said, then after a moment of processing his words, laughed softly. “Heiress,” she repeated with an eye roll. “Anyway, listen. I respect your way of training and doing things in your shop, but I just think it would make more sense for this particular situation if you train me on some of the necessary things you need done in the morning.” Dai glanced up at the ceiling, still trying to calculate how that would work in his head. “You would work up front on the register and making drinks, I would do all the busywork that nobody likes doing. It seems sort of like a win-win, no? Plus, once I finish all that work, you can keep training me when we’re not busy. We don’t have to shove everything all at once.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Dai finally sighed, turning to the desk and starting to shuffle through papers in search for the list of morning tasks. “But that’s not how I normally do it,” he reiterated playfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well maybe it’ll work so well that I’ll change your ordinary,” she grinned, pushing herself from the leaning position on the fridge and moving over to stand behind Dai, peeking over at the list once he had found it. He peered behind his shoulder as Reina started to read through the tasks, trying to memorize them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Maybe you will.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been so quiet this evening,” Sora mentioned. Reina glanced up at her meal, giving her a quick smile to try and seem less nervous. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Being back here feels weirder than I thought it would</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Reina thought to herself. She had been trying to push herself back into the narrative that nothing </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad had actually happened, but the decor in the dining room was so similar to the living room, and it made her stomach drop every time she noticed a resemblance. “Is something bothering you? Are you and Tamaki fighting?” She asked curiously, pushing her mostly finished plate to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not at all,” Reina assured. “I forgot to text you last night, I’m sure you saw on the door sensors, I was actually over at his house,” she told her, giving another little smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve actually stopped looking at the sensors,” Sora confided, giving her a short shrug. “There’s no reason to. I know you’re safe if you’re at Tamaki’s. If you’re here or there, you don’t have to worry about texting me anymore. I trust you, my dear,” Sora smiled gently, before her eyebrows furrowed. “Well if you’re not fighting with Tamaki, then what’s going on?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I could tell her,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Reina thought to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It would save me a lot of trouble. I could have someone to help me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> In the middle of her moment of contemplation, a staff member wandered into the dining room to deliver their normal night drinks, breaking her away from those thoughts, which she took as a sign. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, I can’t. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These last few weeks of this semester have just been so tiring,” Reina admitted, not truly lying. “I’m ready for summer break.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can only imagine,” she smiled, moving to fix her tea to her liking. “It’ll be here soon enough. Do you have any plans?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tamaki and I are supposed to be going on a trip, but I still need to figure out the dates exactly. I should do that soon,” she noted to herself. “We’re going to America for a little bit.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Such a long plane ride!” Sora exclaimed, eyes widened at the idea of it. “You two have fun with that, I will not envy you in the slightest. I would hope that whichever airline you’re taking has an excellent first class cabin.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever been on one of the flights where the first class had actual individual rooms? I’ve never been on one like that, I’ve always wanted to,” Reina noted with a grin, successfully maneuvering the conversation far from her initial questioning. Sora shook her head softly as she took a drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a very long time since we’ve left the country for pleasure. If we need to travel out, it’s normally for another gallery opening or something else business related. I’ve been meaning to make Saito take me somewhere, it’s just hard to have the time,” she explained gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could go alone,” Reina almost blurted out, but refrained herself from actually yelling it like she wanted to. Sora glanced up at her, lips still pressed against the edge of her teacup and both hands clasped over it. “I mean if time is the issue, you could always go alone. Or maybe go with the kids, I’m sure having some time with the family could be fun,” she added, pressing the grin back on her face. “It sounds like you and Renzo had fun on your weekend trip, maybe he would be up for somewhere abroad.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps,” Sora nodded, her voice quieter than normal. The pair continued on with conversation about where Sora would want to travel to next, and about some of Reina’s adventures. As time went on and the liquid in their cups slowly dwindled, the two both headed off to their separate rooms at the same time. As Reina made her way back up the steps, her stomach was knotting up once more just at the recollection of the last time she had taken this same pathing. Still, she made it to her room and began to devote all of her energy in the pile of homework awaiting her. In much less time than it typically took her, Reina finished and stared at the stack in front of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now what? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered, taking a short peek over at the door, but forced herself to look away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have no reason to be so on edge. Just find something else. What’s something I used to do while I couldn’t sleep? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She pressed, snatching up her laptop and pulling it to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Musical! The musical I told Mori about! And I just mentioned it to Yuzuru today! Maybe I can finish before the end of our school’s musical, and I could talk to recruiters like Yuzuru suggested,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she grinned, pulling up some of the documents from it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A job and a hobby! I’ve got this. I can do this. I’m okay. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hours passed, and Reina finally came to terms with the fact that she had spent more time peeking up at the door and imagining floorboards creaking in the hallway than she had done doing anything else. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I can’t do this,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she sighed internally, grabbing her phone from her bedside table and staring at it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Working with Dai will be nice to get my mind off of everything, but it still doesn’t help me with proof of income. Tamaki told me that Yuzuru works with a lot of real estate. Maybe I can find a way to get him to help me. Or get someone else to help me. Maybe someone else can rent a place for me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Without much thought, she slammed her laptop shut and cast it to the side of her bed, dialing up Connor and pressing the phone to her ear. The sound of ringing shoved her back into reality and she stared at the wall, unable to move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sweet girl. Everything okay over there?” Her dad’s calming voice rang, but she still wasn’t able to react quite yet. She was still trying to figure out what exactly the motive of the phone call had been in the first place. “Hello? Did you mean to call?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry, could you not hear me?” She asked, jumping into the conversation flawlessly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t ask him to do that for me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she realized. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That would be quite the red flag. I don’t need that right now. Or, ideally, not at all. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Weird, must have been bad reception. Anyway, everything’s fine, I just wanted to talk about coming to visit you,” she said, immediately biting down on her tongue after the words came out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hate lying to him. It’s not the first time, but every time I do it, I always hope it’ll be the last.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. It’s late there, is this the best time for you? How are you?” He asked, checking his own watch. “Are you sleeping okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I only just finished my homework, I figured it would be perfect timing to call you,” she lied once more. “I’ll be sleeping better once I’m not so overworked. Anyway, should we shoot for a weekend or are you able to take some time off?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure the boss can give me a week, don’t worry about that old man,” he teased, beginning to flip through his own calendar. “What if we did something like Wednesday to Wednesday? It’ll give you a little bit of relaxation time at both the beginning and end of your trip before you have to go back to school,” he suggested. Reina’s eyes slowly made their way back to the door, so she laid herself down on the bed, forcing herself to look elsewhere. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds good,” Reina said quietly, staring straight down at the sheets in front of her. “April will be off from school that week as well, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s correct,” he grinned. “She’s very excited to get to fully meet you both. Well, both, possibly. Is Tamaki going to be accompanying you?” Connor asked curiously, settling into his office chair a bit more. “I think it would be nice if he did.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think so. Can you tell me about what we could do out there? Like, if you have anything planned or anything?” She asked, stifling a short yawn. Connor could hear the reminiscents of the yawn from the end, and gave a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” he said, hushing his voice down to mirror her own tired one. “We’re right by the beach, so you’ll have all the time in the world to go there. April still isn’t fond of playing in the ocean, she prefers the pool, so that may be time for just you and Tamaki. I’d love to take you both to Hollywood, I know you’ve been but I doubt you remember much of it. Don’t get your hopes up, it’s kind of gross, but it’s a Los Angeles staple. I think April would love to go to Disneyland as a family, and I’m sure you would find it just as fun,” he listed, going quiet for a moment to listen. “Does any of that sound inviting to you?” He asked, just as gentle as the rest of his sentences had been. When no response met him, he smiled softly once more. “Goodnight, sweet girl, I love you. We’ll talk soon. Call me if you can’t go to sleep again, I’ll always help,” he whispered into the phone, though he knew the words fell on deaf ears as Reina had drifted off on the other end.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0063"><h2>63. The Mysterious Fleur (63)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A/N: Hey everyone! I just posted a Tamaki Suoh one shot if anyone is interested. :) I wrote this at the bottom of it in an author’s note, but I thought of the idea came up when I was trying to think about ways to do the Eclair arc with this story. I pretty much have that part planned out for this story, but that idea kept popping up so I felt like I had to write it. It was kind of screaming in my mind so I wrote it in like, a day; therefore, I don’t think it’s very good, but it’s some additional content if you wanna check it out and let me know your thoughts!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter Sixty Three</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind if my princess were to drift off for a little bit. I can wake you up before we need to get to class,” Tamaki’s voice rang, jumping Reina out of her zoned out state. She glanced around her for a moment. “We’ve only been out here for a few minutes, you would be able to have a long nap,” he reminded her. She looked down at the paper in front of her, noticing the long pencil mark she had left across it as she had apparently spaced out in the middle of a written sentence. Reina looked back up at Tamaki, who was leaning back against the bench with both of his arms outspread, a little grin on his face. Reina set the pencil down before moving into his arms and turning around so that her back was resting against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I probably won’t sleep,” she told him softly, cuddling in closer as his arms cocooned around her. She had still woken up a few times throughout the night after Connor had hung up the phone, and with her first real shift at the coffee shop, the fatigue had started to catch up with her, though she knew that there was very little she could really do about it. Even with smoking breaks during her awakenings the night prior, Reina was still just as restless throughout the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I wouldn’t mind if you did. Imagine us, my sleeping beauty and her prince, protecting her during her nap,” he chimed, tightening his grip on her. She turned her head to the side in order to peek up at him, catching a glimpse of the grin spread across his face. “I can even hide you from anyone who might walk by in case you might be embarrassed! Look!” He excitedly exclaimed, removing one of his arms from her front to cover her face, her nose fitting right in the crook of his elbow. “Nobody would see you!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think they would immediately assume you suffocated me to death in this position,” she mused, though her voice was slightly muffled behind his jacketed arm. A horrified gasp left his mouth as he recoiled his arm, letting the daylight fly back onto her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nobody would think that!” He practically shouted, the trepidation seeping into his voice. “Everyone knows that I’m nothing but a gentle, charming man, and especially to you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you walked over and saw a guy covering a girl’s face, and she was limp and wasn’t fighting back, you would probably assume that you walked in on a crime scene,” Reina continued, giggling very gently at the identical gasp he let out over her logic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe if it was a random guy, but not if it were me. Everyone knows that I could never do that, </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> not to you,” he reiterated, closing his eyes and turning his head away from the mischievous smirk that had landed on her lips. </span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” she sang softly, turning in his grasp just a bit and swinging her legs to lie across one of his thighs as she leaned her side against his chest. “Sometimes it would be the ones you least expect."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not partaking in this conversation any longer," Tamaki scoffed, his head still turned from her and his chin raised to the sky, eyes forced shut. "What a ridiculous claim. I'd very obviously never hurt you. And nobody else would believe that," he continued, clearly not actually finished with the conversation. Reina let out another soft laugh as she laid her head against his collarbone and her eyes slowly shut. "I can't believe you'd think that others could see me that way."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry for such an accusation," she responded both quietly and sarcastically while wrapping both of her arms around one of his biceps in order to keep his arm securely wrapped around her in place. Tamaki, however, was unable to pick up on the sarcasm. His cockiness sprang forward as soon as the apology - fake or otherwise - left her lips, and a triumphant 'hm' could be heard from him. He turned to respond, but he paused when he felt Reina slump against him just a bit more. His eyes scanned over her as her hug on his arm tightened, but her head grew heavier against his collarbone. A smile grew on his face as another 'hm' came from him, this time much quieter and more jubilant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even if it’s just for a few minutes, I’m glad she’ll let me help her, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he gushed to himself, practically holding his breath to try and refrain from moving. He was fighting the urges to hug her tighter, or to reach for her hair, or to lean down and give her forehead kisses, but he held back in fear of waking her. Almost as if he jinxed himself, it only took a few short minutes for Reina to open her eyes again, peeking up at him. His adoring gaze weighed down on her, and despite still feeling exhausted, she grinned back up at him. “Good morning,” she joked sheepishly. His fingers itched to move now that she was up again, so without missing a beat, his hand made its way to her cheek and he gave it little strokes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have to go on a date tonight, we can just sleep if you want,” he mentioned, which made her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did we have a date planned for tonight?” She asked, cocking her head to the side, resting her cheek against his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well - no,” he admitted, cupping her cheek gently as her head turned. “But it’s Friday, so I just figured that I would be given the privilege to take you out. But I also want you to be able to sleep,” he added. Reina smiled gently and she shut her eyes, letting him hold up her head as she relaxed into him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to go out with you tonight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I want you to be able to sleep,” he reiterated, eyebrows furrowing. Reina peeked one eye open to glance up at his troubled expression. She leaned up, giving him a quick peck on the lips before moving her face back down to its original position, then tapped the tip of his nose just once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then tire me out tonight,” she whispered to him, smirking just a bit as his face flared to a bright red. He blinked back at her before adjusting just a bit in the bench underneath them and clearing his throat as he gave her a rapid nod in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah - yeah, I can do that,” he agreed, having to clear his throat for the second time as he glanced off to the side, trying to remind himself where they currently were. “What time should I come get you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my love?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He asked, the red color beginning to wear off. Reina thought about it for a moment, but then remembered something. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I still need to go see Yuzuru to talk about if he has any available rentals - or, to get a work visa and start over at square one on this house search, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about I just meet you at your house once you’re done with the host club today?” She suggested. Tamaki glanced back down at her questioningly. “Maybe we can nap before our date. Or if we can’t sleep, we can just find ways to get more tired. Or take a shower together,” she started to list off teasingly, but was cut off by his immediate stammerings of agreements. “I’ll see you there, then,” she giggled, giving the flustered boy a quick grin as he grew more and more blushed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just a few streets over, Yuzuru was looking over a few documents that had absolutely nothing to do with his normal work. He had set aside any of his typical daily assignments for Suoh Enterprises, and instead was looking at his plans for the new venture. He rubbed at one of his temples, shutting his eyes for just a moment before forcing them back open to overlook everything. After seeing that it was a little past noon, he decided to make his first major phone call of the day. He lifted his phone up to his ear and reclined back in the seat, preparing himself for the conversation that was ahead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And to what do I owe the pleasure? Nothing bad, I would hope,” Connor said as he picked up on the other side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing bad, everyone here is still healthy and afloat,” Yuzuru responded, shutting his eyes. “I just wanted to reach out to discuss a few things with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it about the upcoming trip? Reina called me last night and we set up the dates, I’m not sure if that information has been passed along to you yet. It’ll be a week during their summer break. As long as you send me all of Tamaki’s information, I’ll be buying those tickets here shortly,” Connor told Yuzuru as he stepped away from the movie night taking place on the couch with Carrie and April, and wandered into his office. “Well, as long as Tamaki still plans to come with Reina. He’s more than welcome.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s discussed it on a few occasions, I’m sure he’s still interested,” he noted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>More than a few times,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuzuru thought to himself, unable to contain the small smirk as he pictured his doting son rambling on about his excitement on the nights Reina was away and off doing her own things. “I hadn’t been given that information yet, but good to know, thank you. No, it’s about something completely separate. Tell me, had Reina ever worked before?” Connor blinked, glancing over at one of his photos in the home office, which was the same picture that Reina had shown Tamaki of her in front of the eiffel tower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he responded bluntly after a short moment. “I mean, technically, maybe? But no. I’ve paid her for a few photos for the magazine, but it was only maybe three times and she didn’t particularly go out of her way to get them. She had taken them anyway and I just paid her for the rights to them. An actual job where she was scheduled, never.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. And how does she normally do with her school work? Has she always gotten high grades?” Yuzuru asked curiously. Connor furrowed his eyebrows as he crossed his free arm over the one still holding the phone up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you would know this, but I don’t actually get access to her report cards. They either get sent home with her to her host home, or in The Netherlands they actually were mailed off to Kimi and Eric directly. So although I don’t truly know, she does tell me about her grades after each semester and they’re always near the top of her class. I don’t think she would lie to me about her grades of all things,” he figured. “There was a brief moment where her grades dropped a bit, but she’s never been anywhere close to failing from what she tells me. Last night she called me super late and said she was still up doing homework, so, you know. I have to assume she’s doing alright.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She called you late last night?” Yuzuru questioned, getting a little noise of confirmation from the other end. “She must have been tired. I saw her quite early in the morning yesterday as well,” he noted. There were a few moments of silence, a gap in conversation that Yuzuru didn’t quite understand, so he pushed on in the middle of Connor’s thinking. “I only ask because when I saw her yesterday morning, she asked me about how she would go about transferring her school visa to a work visa, she said she was interested in getting a job,” Yuzuru told Connor. Once again, there was a beat of silence, but not nearly as long as the first one was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A job?” Connor repeated. This time, the short confirmation noise came from Yuzuru’s end, which threw Connor for a loop once more. “I don’t know why she would need a job.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said she needed something to occupy her time,” Yuzuru explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. So perhaps a hobby,” Connor said, moreso to himself, but Yuzuru laughed nonetheless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suggested that as well. She seemed disinterested in that alternative. Reina mentioned two things which actually made me believe that she may have a good point. She doesn’t think that she’ll have anything to do with Lux, so she wants to get a head start on finding the right career path for her. The other thing she mentioned was that she wanted to find a job to occupy her time in order to keep herself from trouble - which, as both a father and the chairman of the school she’s at, that’s music to my ears,” he partially joked. Connor swallowed, still staring at the photo of Reina in his office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said that? To stay out of trouble? Hm. Tell me, how early was it yesterday that you had seen her?” Connor asked, his voice the same cool and collected as it had been for the rest of the conversation, but a gust of worry was wisping through him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I saw her around 5:30, but she was just getting back from a trip to a local coffee shop. So I’m not sure what time she was up exactly,” Yuzuru admitted. Connor gave a slow nod, glancing down at the ground. “I believe you’ve mentioned that she’s been in some trouble in the past, no?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She has,” Connor responded vaguely. “I don’t think she would go down that path again, it sort of seemed like she learned her lesson.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She mentioned being bored,” Yuzuru added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, if she’s bored, then I suppose a job is better than the alternative. I can call her and help her out with the visa process, thank you for letting me know,” Connor said, turning back towards the office door in preparation to return to his wife and youngest daughter, but a throat clearing on the other end caught him in his tracks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The visa wasn’t exactly why I called, not entirely. I guess in a way, I wanted to obtain your permission before moving forward with my thoughts. I wanted to talk to at least one of her parents. If Reina is looking to work then I have a position open right now, and the main requirement is knowing how to speak Dutch, so I was thinking about hiring her,” Yuzuru continued cautiously. “It wouldn’t be too much work, I don’t think, and if it ever became too much for her then there are more than enough people in Tokyo, one of them is bound to speak Dutch fluently enough.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to hire her just to be nice, Yuzuru, as much as I’m sure she would appreciate it. I think she’s a bright young lady, there’s no doubt about that, but I would feel bad if she acted too… teenager-ly? Immature?” Connor tried, searching through his vocabulary to find the right word. When nothing came to mind, he gave up on that quest. “I just don’t want you to have a bad opinion on her if she does poorly - she may be your future daughter in law, after all,” he added semi-jokingly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She would be doing me a huge favor,” Yuzuru admitted, which shut Connor up. “This is a particular business venture that isn’t affiliated with the family business, and therefore, is going to be kept quieter. It’s much harder to hire a stranger who’s willing to do hushed work.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not getting my daughter into anything illegal, are you?” Connor teased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would never put her in danger. This new business is going to be kept specifically from my mother, and if she does find out, I guarantee that I’ll be the only one to feel that wrath. Promise,” Yuzuru said, laughing just a bit at the tailend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The wrath of Shizue is far worse then any legal matter from what I’ve heard, so as long as Reina can stay far from that, then I have no issue with this situation. I’ll say yes on behalf of Kimi as well, no need to call her,” he added, still jokingly. Yuzuru let out his own chuckle as he shook his head, sitting back up to look over some documents once more. After a thought, he glanced at a picture of his own son, just as Connor’s eyes moved back over to the photo of Reina from thousands of miles away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s necessary to inform you that I’ll be keeping this particular proposition from Tamaki, considering you’ll be seeing him for a week soon. I would appreciate it if you kept it between us - Reina will be briefed on that fact as well,” Yuzuru told Connor, just as cautiously as he had explained the rest of the situation. Connor cleared his throat as he nodded, thinking over everything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course. I can do that. May I ask why that is, though? I can only assume that Tamaki would be taking over for you at some point, unless this is something truly separated,” Connor thought out loud. Yuzuru took a deep inhale, attempting to compile all of his thoughts while still keeping the situation as vague as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eventually, the likelihood of him, or at least our sector of the family, taking over this business would be high. But for now, I don’t want him asking any questions before everything is set in stone. Aside from that, we’ve discussed Reina’s ability of - keeping things to herself, to put it in a positive light -” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, telling lies,” Connor corrected with a tiny chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would say diverting the conversation is more like it,” Yuzuru defended, grinning just a bit as he continued to look at the picture of Tamaki. “My son does not have that particular ability. If he’s asked about something, the odds are high that he’ll be truthful, and perhaps sometimes a little bit too truthful. If my mother were to get any sort of suspicion, and she has any inkling that Tamaki may be in on it, she would go to him first for information. I don’t believe he would be able to refrain from telling her everything, and I would like to avoid that situation altogether.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I fully understand,” Connor nodded, thinking about April and her word vomit, a trait she and Reina didn’t seem to share. “I can’t wait to hear about how this unravels.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If Reina doesn’t keep you informed then I will,” Yuzuru assured. Connor turned to leave the office again, but then waited a moment as he thought of something else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe don’t mention to her that I know about it,” Connor said slowly. “I’d like to see just how long she can hold back that information, mostly for curiosity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can do that for you,” Yuzuru mused. “Both of us keeping secrets from our kids. Look at us, we’ve become our parents.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve become </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> parents,” Connor corrected with a short laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, how silly of me. I forget sometimes that some people had normal childhoods.” After formal goodbyes, Yuzuru glanced at the time and let out a soft sigh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I still have a few more hours before I can make my second important phone call of the day. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina rushed home as soon as she was able to sneak out of Mrs. Tanaka’s class. Since the play was over and the musical had yet to start, they had been doing odd job types of work. On this particular week, she had asked the class to pair up and perform a short scene, and since it was Friday, today had been performance day. Reina practically had to beg Hiroto to allow her to volunteer for one of the first performances in order for her to be able to leave unnoticed. After changing into something that she found suitable to wear for her talk with Yuzuru, and after tucking an extra outfit in her bag for the planned date night, she let Sora know she likely wouldn’t be back until Sunday and headed off for the Suoh estate. On her ride over, Reina tried to think over everything in her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I could tell him that I do in fact have a friend coming out here to live - maybe I just say it’s Chloe, and that I didn’t want to talk about my old host families so early in the morning. No, that won’t work. What if it gets back to Tamaki, and then it gets back to Kyoya, and what if Kyoya mentions it to Chloe the next time that they inevitably talk? Someone else. Maybe someone from New York. Though, all of these options sound like a situation Tamaki will try to involve himself in. Maybe I tell him the truth? No, definitely not. Dumb plan. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Before she could think of any alternatives, the driver pulled into the driveway of the guest house. Reina let out a soft sigh as she bundled up her two bags, and after a quick thank you, she headed off towards the front doors. When the doors swung open, a slightly surprised Shima stood before her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good afternoon, Miss Thompson. I’m sorry to inform you that Master Tamaki hasn’t made it back from school yet. In fact, I don’t believe school has officially ended,” she duly noted, with just a twinge of disappointment in her tone that made Reina stiffen a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was released early from my last class, I’m actually here to see Yuzuru,” she said, then stiffened just a little more at the matronly stare she was receiving. “Sorry, I mean Mr. Suoh.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If Master Suoh has given you permission to use his first name, I have no problem with it,” she addressed Reina's correction as she stood aside, allowing Reina entry into the home. “You may leave the bags here, I’ll have someone bring them up to Master Tamaki’s room,” she continued. Reina nodded softly as she set the bags off to the side, making sure there was no possible way anyone could rush in and stumble over them. “He’s up in his office, and if I were you, I would find a new story. Ouran’s teachers aren’t permitted to allow students off of the school campus before the allowed time,” Shima coolly mentioned. Reina turned to the elder woman who was now giving her a gentle smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great, now I have to think of two lies. Hopefully he’ll overlook it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself as she gave Shima a short nod and an equally gentle smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she told her genuinely before heading off in the direction of the older Suoh’s office. Just as she reached the door, Yuzuru was reaching for his phone to make that second phone call, but was interrupted by the light knock. He glanced down at the phone in his hand, contemplating the option of sending whoever was behind the door away for at least a few more moments. During his thoughts, there was a second - even quieter - knock, which made a sigh escape his lips. He set the phone back down against the desk and leaned back in his chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come in,” he called out bluntly, clearly unamused with the interruption to his work. His tune quickly changed when Reina peeked through the doorway, giving a sheepish grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it a bad time? I can come back later,” she told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all,” he said, a brand new enthusiasm laced in his voice. “Come on in, Reina.” She gave a short nod as she walked all the way into the room and shut the door behind her before making her way over to one of the two chairs facing his desk. “It seems early for you to be here already.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your work day must just be flying,” Reina said with a shrug, hoping that would cool any questioning flames - which, it seemed to. After those words left, she couldn't bring herself to say anything else. She was still trying to come up with a plan on how she was going to ask him for this exponentially large favor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I shouldn’t have come so unprepared, but I just don’t know how many more nights I can take it in the Higurashi house. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re here about the visa, correct?” He asked, interrupting her thoughts. She hadn’t taken note of the longer than usual silence between them. On the other side of the desk, he was also trying to find a way to naturally approach the offer, and was having a much harder time with it then he thought he was going to. Reina gave a soft nod, still trying to mull over her thoughts in her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I technically don’t need a visa if he would let me rent a place from him, but I don’t think I want to just say that, because if he says no then I still need a visa and then he’s likely to question why, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself. “Typically, in order to obtain a work visa, you need a sponsor. Whether that be a school, a company, or an individual. I wish I could just get you one through Ouran, but it’s not that easy, since you wouldn’t actually be working at Ouran and your tuition is already paid for so they don’t have a necessary reason for you needing a job,” he continued, giving her a gentle smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I understand,” she nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And since you don’t already have a plan for where you would want to work, then the company option is off the table, which means a person sponsoring you is your best bet,” he added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense. It was sort of a stupid idea, I was pretty unprepared,” she said with a short laugh, trying to refrain from getting upset. “I actually had another thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she added, then immediately regretted the choice to speak the words out loud. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m so unprepared! I came in here with no plan, I’m so stupid. I wasn’t ready for any aspect of this conversation, I should just leave and come back when I have something better in mind, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, biting down on her tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not a stupid idea,” he assured softly, completely dismissing her mention of needing to discuss another matter. He shut his eyes for just a moment to prepare himself. Since both Yuzuru and Reina were struggling with some nerves, neither one of them caught the other’s unusual behavior as much as they probably would have. “I have a position open, and if you were to accept, I could easily sponsor you for your visa.” Reina was pulled from her mental berating of herself with his words, just blinking back at him. “If you were interested.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of position?” She asked curiously, relaxing into her chair a bit more. Yuzuru grabbed a slip of paper from the mess on his desk and slid it over to her side. She reached out and grabbed ahold of it, though there wasn’t too much information on it - just the name of two companies, with their names and addresses written on them. She scanned the document for anything more revealing, but wasn’t met with much in return. “Neither of these are in the country,” she noted, peeking back up at Yuzuru. He nodded softly in understanding of her confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You once mentioned that you would love to pick up a failing business and try to bring it back to life, and this would be your opportunity to play a hand in doing that. You would be working for the first company listed there,” he said, which made Reina turn back to the page. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Seule Rose, located in France? </span>
  </em>
  <span>“And you would be working in close contact with the second company, a new marketing company who was on the search for a new project to work on. They’re located in The Netherlands. A vast majority of your job would just be relaying information back and forth since I don’t speak Dutch; but there are other odd ends that may be designated in your direction as they arise. You’ll also be working with another woman, and you’ll need to relay that information to her as well,” he added in. Reina’s eyes remained fixated on the first company’s name. “But I wouldn’t want to just use you as a translator. I would love to hear your thoughts and input, as I’m sure the woman you’ll be working with would also love to hear your opinions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seule Rose,” she said out loud, hoping it would provoke a memory in her. “It sounds so familiar.” Yuzuru froze, waiting for Reina to elaborate. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t think about the possibility of her knowing more than I initially assumed she would. </span>
  </em>
  <span>After a few moments of thought, Reina glanced back up at Yuzuru, eyebrows furrowed. “Handbag company. Right?” She asked, getting a little nod. “That’s it. My mom had a few of these purses when I was younger, she loved them. I guess I never really thought about why she hadn’t gotten more in recent years, or why I’ve never seen advertisements for them,” Reina thought out loud, nodding softly. Yuzuru let out a short exhale, giving Reina a soft smile to accompany the relief he was feeling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The designer has taken a few years off in order to handle some personal matters. It’s not going to be hard to revive this company since it used to be so recognizable, I don’t think, so long as a genuine effort is put in. I don’t know too much about this marketing company, I just know that they’re a young company.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised that you’re going with a newer company so far from home,” she mentioned, only getting a short shrug in return, as he found no reason to explain his reasoning to her quite yet. She glanced back down at the page. “Are you sure that you would want me to help you? I’m sure you could find someone way more experienced who could handle this,” she finally said softly. Yuzuru reclined back in his chair, taking just a moment to think over everything he had to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure I could, but I would love to be able to give you the opportunity. I think you’re very bright, and with your younger outlook, I think that you could be of great help. I would say that your age makes up a good demographic of buyers, and since Kimi also had an interest in this brand’s handbags, you’re likely to know what her demographic likes as well. I think you could benefit us exceptionally well,” he smiled at her. Reina gave a slow nod, still trying to process the offer. “You would be paid, and I guarantee, the money will match just how much I believe in you,” he added, trying not to let the desperation in his plea seep into his voice too much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Reina asked once more, looking up from the page and back to Yuzuru, who was still sending her a gentle smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One hundred percent. I also want to assure you that there wouldn’t be too much work on your plate. With the time difference, you would only need to work for a few hours after school each day. Since we’re eight hours ahead of both countries, you could either complete your work directly after school hours - which would be the beginning of the work day for them, or you could wait until after dinner, which is a bit later in the work day for them, but ultimately still well within reasonable hours for contacting them. That offers you a lot of flexibility,” he continued, still trying to wholeheartedly sell her on the idea. “You could work that ideal four to seven shift that you mentioned yesterday,” he added while shooting her a grin. Reina had begun to relax throughout the conversation and she was nodding much more enthusiastically as he went on. “There may be some work on the weekends, but most likely only through email, you wouldn’t have to worry about any phone calls or video chats on your weekend off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re serious about this, when would you want me to start?” She asked him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The visa wouldn’t fully go through for a few weeks I don’t believe, however, we can start as soon as possible. If you have some time today, we could get this process started,” he mentioned as he peeked down at his wrist to check the time. His eyes narrowed just a bit at his watch, then he checked his phone to verify that the time had actually been correct. “And since you left school early, it seems you have more than enough time before Tamaki typically gets back from his club,” he pointed out, sending Reina a reprimanding look, but she had started to fiddle with the bracelet on her wrist since she had already expected that look to come her way. “I would hate for this opportunity to interrupt your school time, though, so let’s not make this a usual occurrence.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Once the musical starts, I’ll be stuck in that class for the majority of the time, I promise it won’t be something that happens often,” she assured, though the words weren’t all too confident. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So long as I get a big role, that is. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yuzuru nodded slowly, though remained slightly unconvinced. “I have more than enough time today. So should I just call one of these numbers, or?” She asked, looking back at the paper with furrowed eyebrows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not yet. Give me some time to call her, I’ll need to discuss a few matters with her. The only thing we really need to work on today is a brief introduction, just so everyone is acquainted well enough with each other. Real work will likely start on Monday. We’ll want to work through as much as we can while you’re still in town, since it might be hard for you to work while on vacation with Tamaki -” he paused, taking into account the other part of what he needed to speak with Reina about. “Which, speaking of Tamaki -” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we shouldn’t tell him?” She tried, leaving Yuzuru more than surprised. “I know how he can get, he probably wouldn’t be all too happy about me working. I really wasn’t planning on telling him if I had gotten a job, anyway.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>In fact, I didn’t tell him about the coffee shop, and plan to hopefully never let him on that one.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” he said slowly, the surprise still heavily lingering. “I think that might be the best plan. I don’t want to involve him in any work until he’s ready, and he’s not ready yet,” he added, solidifying their joint idea of keeping the information from his son. “At least, not with this particular job. I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell him as well.” Yuzuru sat back in his chair, his hand reaching for the phone again, but a reminder of the beginning of their conversation stopped him. “You said you had something else you wanted to talk to me about?” Reina paused, her nerves coming back. Now that Yuzuru had gotten over his hurdle in the conversation, he noticed her lapse of silence, as well as the short breath hitch she had taken in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that I talked to Connor last night and we picked the dates for the trip. I talked to Tamaki before I left school and he still wants to come, so I just wanted to let you know,” she came up with quickly enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I spoke with Connor today, he made me aware of it,” Yuzuru explained, which made Reina’s eyebrows furrow. “He called me to get Tamaki’s information for the flights,” he added, trying to keep his word to Connor about staying quiet about his knowledge over the information. Reina nodded softly in understanding, though her eyebrows remained furrowed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Visas could take a few weeks. Which means I would have to stay in place for a few more weeks. Maybe there’s a workaround here… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, we’re in agreement about not telling Tamaki,” she started off, still trying to come up with all of the correct phrasing as the words continued to fly out. “My host mom really likes him, and she’s not very good at keeping secrets. She would be sure to tell him the next time he came over for dinner, so I would probably need to keep it from her as well,” Reina told Yuzuru, settling back in her seat. “So I probably wouldn’t be able to work at home easily. I would be worried about Sora overhearing. I’m sure you have extra rooms here, but again, Tamaki would be sure to see or hear at some point.” Yuzuru nodded slowly, then after a moment of thought, he turned to his computer and began to work through a few things. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have a few single offices open right now - but most of those buildings close doors by six, so I’m not sure that’s the best option for us. It’s a bit unorthodox, but we do own a few apartment buildings that have some vacancy,” he noted, furrowing his eyebrows as he searched through the options. “I have a few other places outside of the apartment complexes as well, since it’s so hard to tell what kind of people you would be surrounding yourself with in a place like that.” When he looked back over at Reina, he noticed her twinkling eyes, clearly unable to contain her excitement. “Is that something you would be comfortable with? A living space as compared to an actual office?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely,” she responded with a level of enthusiasm that he didn’t quite expect, so she toned it down. “Definitely. Whatever rent is, you can take it from what you were planning to pay me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No need,” Yuzuru waved her offer away simply, typing in a few more things before turning towards his printer and pulling out a paper as it flew out from the top. He handed it over to Reina, giving her a gentle smile. “That’s the address. It’s nothing extraordinary, but more than sufficient for a place to work at. I’ll find a way to sneak the keys to you before the end of the weekend, or I can have them delivered to one of your elective classes on Monday. Maybe I’ll have them sent off to your last class to ensure that you stay for that entire class period,” he mused to himself, which got a tiny laugh from Reina. “Go ahead and write your phone number and preferred email address down here. I’ll call you back in here once I’m ready for you.” Reina nodded softly as she gripped onto the paper with her eventual address stretched across it, trying hard not to scrunch it up in her excitement. After jotting down the required information, she stood up from the chair and made her way to the door. Before walking out, she peeked behind her shoulder, giving the elder another smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Yuzuru,” she said genuinely, the glossiness of her eyes beginning to show. When she shut the door behind her, Yuzuru snatched his phone up from the desktop and began to dial rapidly. The phone number wasn’t a number that was in his contacts, but he knew it like the back of his hand. He pushed the phone up to his ear, taking a deep breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We converse every once in a while, but it never stops being nerve wracking. Sometimes I wonder if that feeling will ever go away, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mused to himself, not noticing as his fingers tapped repeatedly against the desk and his foot began to bounce on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a surprise,” a frail voice said in French on the other end. Yuzuru’s fingers stopped moving, though he couldn’t get his foot to cease tapping. He took a shaky breath as he reclined back into the chair, falling into his own short bliss. “It’s been a while.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is now a good time?” He asked, just as quiet as she had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As good as ever,” she responded. “Is there something going on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only good things, my delicate rose. Our plan begins now,” he told her. There was a brief silence, but Yuzuru could hear some light shuffling, which he chalked up to her moving into a different room. Once the sound of a door closing answered his assumption, she spoke once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our plan? Already? I thought you told me a few years,” she gently reminded him. “You must be pulling a lot of strings.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I would say that. I would say that the perfect opportunity wandered up, and I would have been dumb not to take it. It’s long overdue, we don’t need to wait years to start this,” he solemnly said, his confidence growing back slowly. “The manufacturer is going to be the same, I made sure of it since you wanted to be quite sure that quality would remain as exquisite as ever. I found a marketing company in Holland, and though I don’t know much about them, my hopes for them are high. Worst case scenario, we can find a new marketing company, I’m less concerned about that aspect.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must have been busy if you’ve learned Dutch. I don’t recall a new language being on my to do list,” she mused quietly. Yuzuru couldn’t help but chuckle, resting on his free hand against his stomach as he leaned back in his chair more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m far too old to be learning new languages. I’ve hired someone,” he informed her, shutting his eyes and basking in the sound of her soft laugh as she joined in alongside him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?” She asked, furrowing her eyebrows a bit through her quiet laughter. “As a translator?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Partially. But I think she could contribute some good ideas as well. She’ll do good,” he promised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I have to assume you’ve picked a Dutch company specifically to make it appear like you would have nothing to do with it. Am I correct?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So beautiful, and so bright. Truly a crime against humanity for you to have gotten every amazing quality. Not only have they agreed not to attach my name, but they’re willing to be paid in cash, so I can move the money around and make it look like nothing. We both look uninvolved. With that plan in mind, I believe you’d better pick yourself a codename, maybe a new one than your last was, at least for discussions with our translator,” he gently mentioned. The woman on the other end took a moment to ponder this decision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pick for me,” she asked of him softly. Yuzuru’s lips curved into a smile and he nodded softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fleur, for my flower,” he decided easily. “If you have a few moments, I would like for you to meet her. It would be short, just some hellos. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to call you, so she’ll also be good at passing along information between us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to get back to work, but I could find time to sneak away in about an hour,” she informed him, voice still as soft as ever. Yuzuru glanced down at his watch with a slow nod, and after some quick math, decided that it would be okay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you could make it exactly an hour, that would be ideal. You can just call her, I’ll email you her information. Do you still have that spare open?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I always have,” she responded coolly. Yuzuru already started to send the information out, grimacing just a bit when he realized how long it had been since he had reached out to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s sent. I know you have some designs waiting, but I can give you until Tuesday to finalize them. I spoke to the manufacturer yesterday and they said if we were interested, the earliest they could take the designs to begin the process would be Wednesday, so I want to send them over right on the dot. Email them to the both of us as soon as you can on Tuesday,” he explained to her.  The woman on the other end gave a short noise of understanding. “I hope to speak with you soon, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fleur,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he added teasingly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I, you,” she responded, though lingered for a short moment before hanging up. Yuzuru slowly pulled the phone from his ear and stared down at, finally releasing the deep breath that he had unknowingly been holding in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just a little longer. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reina had been made aware of the change of plans and was sitting on Tamaki’s bed, anxiously awaiting both the phone call and Tamaki’s arrival. That hour mark had passed, and Reina didn’t want to mess up this opportunity on the first day by accidentally letting Tamaki in on the situation with a delayed phone call. She glanced back over at her laptop that was filled with tabs about Seule Rose. Unbeknownst to her, the company had always been fairly private about the owners, so aside from tabloid articles from years ago about possibilities why the company was on hiatus, she couldn’t find too much. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Once again, this is one of those moments that Kyoya could come in handy, but I still can’t risk it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought, biting the inside of her cheek. Just as she had begun to debate running off to Yuzuru’s office to ask him to cancel the phone call in fear of Tamaki showing up, her phone started to ring under a private number. She stared down at it for a moment before slowly picking up the phone and answering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, this is Reina,” she said in French, after swiftly realizing that her informal greetings probably weren’t the best for a first impression - though, the fear of it being an old classmate calling at an untimely time was still lingering. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll have to start answering unknown numbers too, of course, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself with a short nose scrunch. The woman on the other end was taking a seat in an armchair tucked inside her room, and she gave a short smile at the sound of the sweet voice; she did, however, take note of how young the voice sounded as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well good afternoon, Reina,” she said. Reina was relieved to not only hear an older woman who clearly was not a classmate, but was relaxed by the sound of her motherly voice. “You can call me Fleur. It’s so nice to meet you, my dear, at least as much as you can meet someone over a phone call.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I agree,” Reina responded with a short laugh. “Nice to meet you as well, Fleur. I’m not sure if Yuzuru informed you, but my mother loved your company’s bags, so I’m already familiar enough with it. I’m very excited to assist you in the revamp,” she told the woman genuinely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t, but I love to hear that,” the woman responded, a small smile on her face. After a moment, she glanced down at one of her hands. “How exactly did Yuzuru find you? Just out of curiosity.” Reina thought about it for a minute, trying to figure out exactly how much information to withhold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a family friend,” she finally confirmed, plastering a smile on her face that could be heard through the phone. The woman slowly nodded from the other end, her thoughts going elsewhere. “Yuzuru told me that you would be emailing me your designs on Monday, is there anything else I should look out for from you over the weekend?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“From me, most likely not,” she confirmed, her thoughts still stuck on different things, but she kept them to herself. “He mentioned to me that he would be looking for your assistance on some other things, can I ask what those things might be?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think he might have just been referring to opinions, when I’m asked for them, of course,” Reina said, though she wasn’t all too confident. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, that’s what I do for Yuzuha, but I’m not even really that sure that my input is very helpful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Really, aside from translating, I can help you out in any other way you may need. If you need me to reach out to someone for you, or if you need me to handle a phone call for you, I can do that. Just as long as I’m given some guidance on the assistance you need, then I can do my best.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do like to hear that,” she confided with a little nod. “Though I believe that Yuzuru will be handling most of the business side of things, aside from the conversations with the marketing company, which I believe you’ll be in charge of. I’ve sort of taken over on just working on products. But any good artist appreciates criticism, and I want our first release to be perfect. So if you have any suggestions on Monday, just inform me and I can evaluate the options again,” she softly told Reina, who was beaming just a bit at the new opportunities in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course - though, I’m sure they’ll be amazing,” Reina noted as she peeked back over at her laptop, looking over some of the older product photos that were filling up one of her many tabs. Her eyes trailed down to the time and her breath hitched just a bit as she glanced back up at the door, realizing that Tamaki was bound to be home at any second. “Is there anything else I can do for you, or answer for you, while we’re on the line?” Fleur took a long moment to think about it, but after taking into account that this was their first conversation, decided to withhold all of her curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t believe so. I’ll send you the designs and call you on Monday, likely before I reach out to Yuzuru. I would love to hear your input before I send them to him,” the woman confirmed. Reina opened her mouth to speak, but from down the hall, she could hear footsteps. In a bit of panic, she threw on another grin in hopes to sound cheery. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perfect! Thank you Fleur, we’ll speak soon!” She excitedly said, though her voice was much quieter than the rest of the conversation had been. After waiting a reasonable amount of time for a response, Reina figured that she had ended the conversation well enough before swiftly hanging up and tossing the phone to the side just as the bedroom door creaked open. Tamaki poked his head in, and upon seeing Reina, a wide grin appeared. She jumped up from her spot on the bed and snapped her laptop shut sneakily as she skipped over to him, just as he pushed the door all the way open and dropped his school bag onto the ground beneath him. “Welcome home, baby,” she grinned, throwing her arms around him as they met in the middle of the room. With the burst of adrenaline pumping through her, alongside her overall excitement to see Tamaki, she hugged him tightly and began to give both of his cheeks soft kisses. Tamaki’s eyes widened just a bit at the stark difference between the girl in front of him versus the last version of her that he had seen at school. All of her stress had dissipated, and at least for the moment, her fatigue seemed to have subsided. Still, his grin widened as he grabbed onto her tightly and gave her a few spins. Even in his bliss between her kisses, alongside her quiet giggles she was letting out against his skin, he noticed the similarity between this moment and between the daydream he had about their future during the day with Nekozawa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>My love,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” was all he could bring himself to say as he gave her another spin, getting another little giggle out of her. “What I wouldn’t do to receive this greeting every single day after school,” he thought out loud. </span>
  <em>
    <span>First of many days I plan to come home to her. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When he set Reina back down on the ground, she remained in the embrace with him, beaming up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we can schedule it in for every Friday,” she offered coolly, already beginning to devise a weekly plan out in her head. As she watched his face light up immensely, she felt herself being lifted from the ground one more, but this time she wrapped both of her legs around his waist and grinned up at him even more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m doing this for you, and it’s working. I can do this for you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>As Tamaki lifted one of his hands to caress her cheek, Reina let her head tilt into it and she shut her eyes. “Nap now, shower after our date?” She offered softly. His thumb ran across her skin a few times with a beam unseen to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything for you, my glowing princess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back in France, the woman stared down at her phone before finally standing back up in preparation to return to her daily duties. She knew that something had to have been going on behind the scenes that she wasn’t aware of, but for the time being, she tried to cast it aside in order to get into go mode. She started to map out her weekend, as well as setting personal deadlines for herself, such as what times she wanted to send Reina the designs and what time she wanted to send Yuzuru the designs, as well as what times she could set aside during the weekend to officiate them. Though, the voice in the back of her head was letting her know that there was definitely more to the situation than what was being presented to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>In good time, I’ll find out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>~</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!</em>
</p>
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